Draft education law seeks to end coaching, guidebooks and corporal punishment in five years

The interim government has come up with a draft education law that proposes a five-year plan to transform teaching and learning in Bangladesh, phasing out private tuitions, guidebooks, and corporal punishments from classrooms.

Teachers, however, may exercise reasonable disciplinary measures in the interest of students’ welfare and institutional order, with parental notification encouraged.

The Secondary and Higher Education Division published the draft online on Sunday night, inviting feedback via email (opinion_edu_act@moedu.gov.bd) by 5pm on Feb 7.

Zahirul Islam, joint secretary of the division’s Audit and Law wing, told bdnews24.com on Monday: “After collecting opinions, the draft will be finalised through inter-ministerial consultation before being submitted to the cabinet in stages.”

Attempts to enact an education law have been ongoing since 2011, following the National Education Policy (NEP) 2010, but successive drafts have repeatedly been returned for revisions.

Primary education will cover grades 1-5, be free and compulsory, and be considered a child’s right.

Secondary education will cover grades 6-10, while grades 11-12 will constitute higher secondary education.

Secondary education will include general, madrasa, and technical-vocational streams, with steps to improve Qawmi madrasa standards.

The draft mandates the formation of central research laboratories and a National Research Council to enhance teaching quality, teacher training, research, innovation, curriculum evaluation, and policy advice.

Research will also be compulsory for university and college faculty.

Textbooks are to instil values of the Liberation War, mass movements, courage, patriotism, social and religious awareness, and ethical and humanitarian principles.