Major curriculum overhaul coming from 2028: Mahdi Amin

A broad overhaul of the country’s education curriculum is planned from the 2028 academic year, with greater emphasis on ethics, human values, practical skills and employability alongside academic excellence, Education and Primary and Mass Education Adviser Mahdi Amin has said.

In an interview with Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS), Mahdi Amin, also spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office, outlined the government’s plans to reform the education sector, which he said has been given the highest priority.

He said a comprehensive curriculum reform would be introduced in 2028, while necessary additions, revisions and deletions would be made to textbooks for the 2027 academic year as an interim measure.

From 2027, new subjects will also be introduced at the primary and secondary levels. “Sports and Culture”, combining sports and physical education, will be introduced from Class Four, while “Learning with Happiness” and “Technical Education” will be introduced from Class Six.

The new initiatives are intended to expose students to robotics, artificial intelligence and technologies associated with the Fourth Industrial Revolution, he said.

Mahdi Amin said the government was also considering forming an education reform commission to restore discipline and bring broader structural changes to the education system.

On the recent SSC and equivalent examination results, he said no grace marks were awarded this year to ensure greater transparency and accuracy in assessment.

Students who fail examinations or face a risk of dropping out will be offered technical and vocational training through technical training centres and short-term programmes. Financial support may also be provided to help interested youths become entrepreneurs, he said.

The government is also planning to establish employment exchanges at the divisional and district levels, where young people will be able to register their skills and connect directly with potential employers.

The private sector will be brought into the initiative to provide technical training and skills development. The programme will initially be launched at the divisional level before being expanded to every district, with disadvantaged groups receiving priority.

The government also plans to provide digital tablets to teachers under the “One Teacher, One Tab” initiative, starting from the primary level and gradually expanding to other levels of education.

At the university level, the government wants to expand research partnerships with local industries to address real-world problems. It also plans to encourage Bangladeshi researchers and academics living abroad to return and contribute to the country, turning “brain drain” into “brain circulation”.

Measures are also being taken to narrow the education gap between urban and rural institutions, including nationwide primary school football tournaments and innovation and startup competitions aimed at identifying talent in remote areas.

Mahdi Amin said the government’s goal was to move beyond certificate-based education and build a generation equipped with skills, employment opportunities, ethical values and a strong sense of humanity.