State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Bobby Hajjaj has said the government is working to make primary education more effective and science-orientated by introducing STEM-based and play-based learning from the earliest stages of education.
Speaking as the chief guest at a programme organised by BRAC and the LEGO Foundation at a hotel in Dhaka on Monday, the state minister said education was the nation's greatest investment and reaffirmed the government's commitment to strengthening primary education.
"Education is the greatest investment for a nation. Therefore, the government is committed to strengthening primary education and making it more science-orientated," he said.
Bobby Hajjaj said Bangladesh must move beyond the fear of mathematics and embrace science as the foundation of its future. He stressed the need to foster scientific thinking and innovation through play-based learning from the primary level, adding that Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education is essential for building the country's future.
Referring to the government's education vision, he said quality primary education would remain at the heart of the country's largest investment in human development.
The state minister noted that only around 20 per cent of higher secondary students currently study in the science stream, describing the figure as insufficient for developing a knowledge-based and technology-driven nation.
"Students must develop an interest in STEM subjects from the primary level so that they can confidently choose science-based education in the future," he said.
He said the government was closely monitoring play-based education initiatives implemented by BRAC, the LEGO Foundation and other development partners. Successful models would be assessed for possible introduction of play labs and STEM laboratories in government primary schools, with a pilot project covering several hundred schools under consideration.
Bobby Hajjaj also said the government was working to establish a common minimum standard of education across all streams, including government schools, Bangla and English-medium institutions, and madrasas.
"A national benchmark will be established for teachers, curriculum, infrastructure and the overall quality of education," he said.
He acknowledged that learning outcomes in language, mathematics and English at the primary level had yet to reach the desired standard. To address the challenge, he said the government was giving the highest priority to education reform, updated curricula, technology-enabled learning, play-based education and STEM-focused teaching.
Senior officials from the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, representatives of BRAC and other non-governmental organisations, and members of the media attended the programme.
