Bangladesh Education Policy Seminar

A policy seminar on “Bangladesh Education Policy Priorities” was held on 04 January 2017 at the BRAC Centre Inn in the city. 

The discussion noted that commendable progress has been made over recent years; yet, education quality and linking existing policies with other dimensions of human development, for example, better health and more earnings, remain a challenge. Publishing new research on education solutions in Bangladesh, and bringing together key decision-makers and academics to discuss the policy framework, the Education Priorities Policy Seminar provided an opportunity for a focused discussion on education priorities and policy options.

Attended by the most important stakeholders and experts of education from the government, NGOs and international agencies including Advocate Mostafizur Rahman, Minister, Ministry of Primary and Mass Education attended the seminar as Chief Guest. Chowdhury Mufad Ahmed, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Education and Edouard Beigbeder, Representative of UNICEF, attended the seminar as special guests.

The policy seminar discussed some of the smart solutions to addressing education issues of Bangladesh. Copenhagen Consensus’s Bangladesh Priorities research suggested how and where to spend valuable resources for addressing such education challenges as eliminating stunting, gender equality, and other education problems.

There were two separate panel discussions. The first panel discussed the benefits of promoting psycho-social stimulation activities for children and increasing resources for girls’ education at the secondary level. 

The first discussion’s panelists were Dr. Amin Ahmed, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Women & Children’s Affair, Erum Mariam, Director, BRAC Institute of Education and Development (BIED), and Abdul Bayes, Director, BRAC RED. 

The second discussion’s panelists were Mohammed Shahidul Islam, Education Team Leader, USAID, Samir Ranjan Nath, Programme Head, Education Research Unit, RED, BRAC and Dr. Anwara Begum, Senior Research Follow, Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS). 

The Chief Guest committed to prioritizing two smart interventions. “Bangladesh will prioritize psycho-stimulation activities for children and increasing secondary education for girls.” According to the UNICEF Representative, “The education policy seminar can be a great input to various policies and acts. I hope the interventions discussed will be taken by the government and we will consider it for implementation.”

It was agreed by the panelists and participants that the seminar was a timely input to the government for preparing its upcoming education act, and designing new policies.