Views Bangladesh may create a new trend in media

Professor Dr. AAMS Arefin Siddique was born in Dhaka on October 23, 1953. He is the former Vice-Chancellor of Dhaka University and presently the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Bangladesh News Agency (BSS). He is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the National Museum. Recently, he talked with Views Bangladesh about the education system in Smart Bangladesh. Economic writer M A Khaleque and assistant editor of Views Bangladesh Girish Goiric interviewed him.

Views Bangladesh: Today, December 28, 2023, the bilingual portal Views Bangladesh is officially launched. What do you expect from View Bangladesh as an educator?
AAMS Arefin Siddique: I would like Views Bangladesh to properly fulfill the information needs of the ordinary people of Bangladesh. Apart from this, the interpretation or analysis of various news, which we usually do not see in newspapers, should be published in Views Bangladesh. Then, the readers will be connected with the information and will know the analysis of the information. They can also understand what to do. I think Views Bangladesh will create a new trend in the country's media, which we have felt the need for a long time.

Bangladesh has achieved remarkable progress in the economic field in recent times. Various targets adopted in the economic field are being successfully achieved. Bangladesh's economic achievement has been recognized internationally. Bangladesh has already become a middle-income country in the World Bank's rating. Bangladesh has been placed in the preliminary list of developing countries in the rating of United Nations agencies. If everything goes well, Bangladesh will finally pass the list of developing countries in 2026. By 2031, Bangladesh will become an upper-middle income country, and in 2041, Bangladesh will move into the ranks of developed countries. Bangladesh is working at a constant pace to achieve this goal.

Views Bangladesh: Bangladesh is nationally committed to building a Smart Bangladesh. How do you think the media can help in building a smart Bangladesh?
AAMS Arefin Siddique: The media can be essential in establishing Smart Bangladesh. Because massmedia creates public opinion, if public opinion favors Smart Bangladesh, it will be possible to make Bangladesh a smart country. If we can build public opinion, I believe Bangladesh will become a smart country with the collective and united efforts of 17 crore people. The first condition for building a smart Bangladesh is to create a suitable, smart, and strong citizen. If each of us can develop ourselves as good citizens, it will be easy to build a smart Bangladesh. Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman repeatedly spoke about building Sonar Bangla during his lifetime. He also said, "If you want to build a golden Bengal, you must create golden people."

Bangabandhu's daughter, Sheikh Hasina, discusses building a smart Bangladesh by embracing her father's dream. In other words, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has presented the cherished dream of her father before the nation. Bangabandhu also said, 'I had a dream to see an independent Bangladesh; that dream has been fulfilled. Now, my dream is to build a golden Bangladesh. To build a golden Bangladesh, I need golden people. These golden people will be the smart people of the country. If Views Bangladesh moves forward with the conviction to build a Smart Bangladesh, the people of Bangladesh will reap benefits and profit. I would like Views Bangladesh to go ahead with the objective of helping build a Smart Bangladesh.

Views Bangladesh: If we want to build smart citizens in Bangladesh, our education system must also be smart. Will it be possible to create smart people with our existing education system?
AAMS Arefin Siddique: When we talk about smart Bangladesh, when we talk about smart citizens, we also talk about smart education system. Our current education system will need a significant overhaul to produce smart citizens. We need to rapidly change our education system to create smart citizens so that we can quickly reach the goal of creating a smart Bangladesh. To build a smart Bangladesh, we need to create smart citizens. Every level of education needs to be redesigned to make smart citizens. Not only should the top level of education be geared towards making smart citizens.

Every level of education, from primary level, should be geared towards making smart citizens. Many people go to different professions after finishing their secondary and higher secondary education. If they cannot be developed as competent and honest citizens, then building a smart Bangladesh will not be possible. Therefore, primary and secondary levels of education should be given utmost importance in developing smart citizens. A quote from Bangabandhu can be recalled in this context. Bangabandhu addressed the nation on October 28, 1970, through radio-television. He said, "If I get elected, I will spend four percent of GDP on education."

Investment in education is a nation's best investment. No nation has ever suffered by investing in education. Realizing the importance of education in 1970, Bangabandhu promised to spend money on it, and today, we are demanding it. Even if we do not understand how vital Bangabandhu's words are in 2023, the United Nations is realizing it. When January 24, 2023, was observed as the International Education Day, they fixed their motto, "Invest in People, Prioritize Education." We need to Invest in people and put people first. The United Nations is prioritizing the statement made by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu in 1970 for 2023. It shows how far-sighted Bangabandhu was. I think Views Bangladesh will move forward with Bangabandhu's ideological goals. They will give top priority to the education bit. They will prioritize the publication, dissemination, and analysis of educational news. Only then can we build smart citizens. If it is possible to develop smart citizens, it is not impossible to create a smart Bangladesh.

Views Bangladesh: UNESCO said that at least six percent of a country's total GDP should be allocated to the education sector. However, the budget allocation for Bangladesh's education sector has not yet exceeded two percent of the GDP. What to say about this?
AAMS Arefin Siddique: Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had talked about allocating four percent of GDP to the education sector in the seventies. In the current era of extreme excellence in science, the expenditure of the education sector has increased a lot. So, allocating six percent of the total GDP to the education sector is indispensable. Perhaps due to various limitations, we can't allocate six percent of expenditure to the education sector. Still, we must do it in the future, especially if we want to build a smart Bangladesh. Now, however, the education sector's infrastructure needs to be expanded so that we can absorb six percent of the GDP allocated to the education sector and use it properly.

We should focus on increasing the quality of education by using this money. We must start our activities in this regard now. We have implemented the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) announced by the United Nations. Now, we are implementing the Sustainable Development Goals. It should be completed by 2030. Education is Agenda four of the Sustainable Development Goals. Each of the 17 goals of the SDGs has an emphasis on education. I think education should be given the highest importance in the activities of the Republic. I have seen that every time the honorable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina gives a speech, she puts particular emphasis on education. The government is giving importance to training in all fields. If we proceed with goodwill, allocating six percent of the GDP to the education sector is not challenging.

Views Bangladesh: We need to create smart teachers to build a smart Bangladesh. How smart do you think our teachers are?
AAMS Arefin Siddique: Teachers can make themselves smart if given proper facilities. They have that ability. Teachers need adequate training. Without training, teachers cannot develop their competence. The teachers of our country are talented and qualified. If you train them, you can master any subject in a very short time. Education is said to be the backbone of a nation. Bangabandhu saw education as the foundation of this nation. When Bangladesh was ravaged by war in the post-independence 1970s, Bangabandhu nationalized about 40,000 primary schools. Nationalization ensured that teachers' salaries were paid from state funds. Students were allowed to study without tuition. Bangabandhu believed that if education is the foundation of a nation, then teachers are the backbone of that foundation. Meritorious students should be made interested in teaching by providing appropriate salaries and allowances.

The present government will make massive changes in the education curriculum to introduce a modern and up-to-date education system. To properly implement the new education curriculum, teachers must first be trained to present the students appropriately in the classroom. I heard that the idea of a new education curriculum was brought from Finland. As we know, Finland's education system is very advanced, but a smokescreen is being created in the country with the new education curriculum. This is happening because teachers are not duly informed about this curriculum. I hope the government will send some of the country's teachers to Finland to train them on the new education curriculum. They will come to the country and train other teachers as master trainers. Then, the confusion that is being created about the new education curriculum will be removed. At the same time, teachers can teach students in the classroom appropriately. If we don't get this right, the smokescreen created by the proposed education curriculum will only widen.

Views Bangladesh: As an educator, are you satisfied with the overall quality of education?
AAMS Arefin Siddique: As a teacher, I have never been satisfied with the quality of the education system in the country. When I go into the classroom and teach, I think it would have been better to put it this way. A teacher can never be satisfied with his work. He will be dissatisfied. The quality of our education is constantly on the rise. In the future, we must improve the quality of our education system.

Views Bangladesh: There are complaints that many educational institutions have been established at the local level of the country that do not have a suitable educational environment. There are not enough good teachers. There is a shortage of materials. These educational institutions have been approved due to political considerations. What to say about this complaint?
AAMS Arefin Siddique: I am aware of the allegations. No matter where the educational institution is established, if it cannot provide suitable teachers for the students, if there is a lack of materials, then the students' educational program will remain incomplete. Those who pass out from that educational institution will not be able to survive in the competition. For this, my long-standing demand is that all the colleges should be affiliated with the universities of their respective areas. Connecting local colleges with universities can improve the quality of education. Many universities have been established across the country. So local colleges can be affiliated with these universities.

Views Bangladesh: School and college students are gradually turning away from the library; what is the reason?
AAMS Arefin Siddique: We live in an age of excellence in information technology. Everything is available through the Internet. Everything that the students will study is available on the net. So, they are more comfortable with creating readings on the Internet rather than going to the library with difficulty. It is not that the reading habit of students has decreased. They are reading books on the Internet instead of printed books on paper. We have to accept this change. Still, they should be encouraged to read books printed on paper. The new education curriculum may include at least two or three weekly library periods. At that time, students will study in the library compulsorily. Reading in the library should also be assessed in the exam. At the same time, measures can be taken to develop the habit of reading newspapers among students.