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Published: 12:37 AM, 15 December 2019

https://dailyasianage.com/news/209477/education-to-develop-creativity--and-analysing-ability

Education to develop creativity and analysing ability

M S Siddiqui

Human resources are the most vital resources. In our country, the supply of human resources does
not meet the demands of the market. Every year, at least 2 million new young citizens are joining
the labor market.

At present 60 percent of our population is of working age and 35 percent of it consists of the youth
but only 1.07 percent of this 35 percent has had skills development. However, theoretically, even
this 1.07 percent is not skilled enough.

Bangladesh enterprises cover up these skill gaps with foreigners in management, production,
marketing, research and development (R&D). Ready-made garment (RMG) industry started its
journey in 1978 and 41 years later, we are still heavily dependent on imported skills at the
management level.

The whole education sector has failed to take this problem seriously. Around 13 percent of the
country's garments factories have employed foreign experts in the top posts who remit over USD 5
billion from Bangladesh every year.

It is well known that technical education, vocational education and skills training regarded as the
three pillars of skills development. Bangladeshi workers seek jobs abroad without proper training
and skills. These individuals do not receive the same levels of education and training.

They are denied their deserved wages. Those who complete tertiary education need a different
form of training compared to those who enter the job market after completing lower level
education. They are also lacking knowledge of the physical, emotional and social development apart
from technical education.

There are many vocational training institutions in private sector and under different departments
of some ministries of the government. There are some exception institutions under management of
NGOs like MATWS and UCEP. Trainees of these two institutions are better placed in the job of home
and abroad but the quality of training at government is questionable.

We could not fulfill this demand through market-relevant technical education and skills
development. We require improved technology in order to alleviate the quality of our management
and technical education.

The education policy or strategy should have databases of demand of manpower, worker profiles,
and skills anticipation plans with development of market and technology. It should include special
focus on inclusiveness, in terms of people with disabilities, regional disparities, ethnic minorities,
gender etc., and geographic disparities in respect of availability of job and respective manpower.

Our present general and technical education is not sufficient to meet the demand of job and the
nation will need more highly trained people. The skills gap will widen in the future with the
industry adopting newer technology, robotics and more automation. Bangladesh should focus on
establishing a national skills development policy to meet the challenge.

One of the most neglected sectors is the polytechnic institutes offering vocational and diploma
courses. Investment in infrastructure is required so that polytechnic institutes, vocational training
centres and skills centres can accommodate individuals from all strata of society. These polytechnic
institutes do not have the required number of teachers educated in updated technology and the
curriculum is very old and usually not meeting present day's requirements.

As for example, the global market has acute shortage of skilled staffs in the healthcare industry,
nursing, is increasing in demand, especially in countries with an ageing population. More workers
will be needed in this industry in some regions, where the population growth is negative. Since we
have a shortage of nurses, we are unable to fill these gaps both in our country and in other
countries.

We are facing another limitation in education system. The public Universities are encouraging
students to be BCS officer, private Universities are encouraging students to be executive at
multinational companies and Madrasha institutions focusing on punishment and remuneration
after death.

Bangladeshi curriculum is not at per with 21st-century skills such as innovative skills, creative
skills, creative thinking, decision-making, problem-solving, collaborative skills, self-management
skills, and global citizenship skills. All these are not required in every trade; they can be divided into
sub-skills or tertiary skills.

In near future, on the basis of policy of the government, jobs continue to be generated by the
manufacturing sector, such as Special Economic Zones (SEZs), Export Processing Zones (EPZs),
Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), micro-enterprises, self-employment in both formal
and informal, and the agricultural sector in terms of agro-based trading and manufacturing to meet
up the demand of both rural and urban markets.

In terms of investments in general, technical education and training, we must take into account
automation, robotics and our demographic dividend. It can be synchronized by maximizing the
potential of our human resources. The curriculum of the general education may be re-designed to
incorporate technical education according to demand of the market. There is no alternative to skills
training when it comes to utilising new technologies in skills development.

Courses should be designed in a way that connects classrooms with industries and offer courses
like industrial relations, labour management, occupational health and safety.
For example, RMG sector employ foreign workers are mainly in product development carried out in
the R&D (Research and Development) department. That indicates that the other job positions
would be occupied by the domestic workforce if they were nurtured well by different universities
focusing on the demand of the garments industry.

At present, out of 126 universities (46 public and 80 private) there are two universities in the
country-BGMEA University of Fashion and Technology (BUFT) and Bangladesh University of
Textiles (BUTEX) are educating manpower for the garments and textiles industry specifically. In
other universities, there are some degrees such as textile and industrial engineering that trying to
fulfil the demands of the sector. But these institutions are not aware that RMG is about to face
challenges from automation and competition, and the industry is not ready.

A large number of young people, including government officers are sent to overseas Universities
and Institutions for higher education and training, which is very expensive. The Investments in
education sector should be advanced technology for the development of the technical education
sector to meet the demands of the market. We should have such institutions in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh unfortunately blocked the way of setting up branches of overseas University with too
much regulation as policy makers think that overseas Universities will sell certificate in Bangladesh
but surprisingly, policy makers are sending their children to those Universities in other countries.
The education sector should be open for overseas investment.

We need to generate a good number of quality graduates with expertise on the garments and
textiles industry. Producing high skilled workers for the RMG industry will also contribute to the
economy by reducing the amount of foreign remittance that leaves the country.

Fortunately, there are some donor agencies in collaboration with buyers in west are promoting
some skill development courses and training programs. The IFC's (International Finance
Corporation) PaCT (Partnership for Cleaner Textile) to address high water, energy, and chemical
use; ILO's Better Work programme emphasising on working conditions; Palladium International's
Sudokkho to produce skilled workers; BSR's (Business for Social Responsibility) health project;
Alborg University's Master's degree in Risk and Safety Management.

The local institutions should have more courses offered in leading private universities that are
directly linked with the garments industry. Bangladesh should follow these agency and setup
similar training institutions.

The focus should on general education with some technical courses and advanced technical
education. All the educational institution should update their curriculum to include technical
education and each of those must have placement or career counselling services. In that way,
students can remain updated about the job market and the type of skills they should build. The
curriculum should be updated every now and then with change of technology and market demand.
The basic foundation of our children are very weak due to poor standard of primary education. This
sector lacking proper curriculum, infrastructure and teaching staffs. The salary of teachers is very
poor and unable to attract meritorious and dedicated persons. Teacher are performing duties for
salary but not taking as profession due to many limitations and environment in the society.

There are many countries such as Canada where the salary of teachers of school, college and
University is similar. Those who take up the noble profession of teaching choose the institution
according to their interest to teach among School, College or University. We should give top priority
to the primary education.

The teachers are not properly paid and regularly trained. The teaching staffs should be updated of
advancement of technology and ever changing demand of the job market. The teachers should in
regular training and sharing experience with industries and market. Bangladesh needs higher
education of teacher than higher education of government official of education ministry.

The success of examination is dependent on memorizing note or text book. Educational system is
hardly focusing on development of creativity and analysing ability. We need a rapid reform in mind-
set of teachers and methods of examinations.

The entrepreneurs should express their demand to the educational and vocational institutions.
There is a gap of Industries - academia relationship despite the fact that the new generation
Universities in private sector are established and managed by business entrepreneurs.

These entrepreneurs often express dissatisfaction of quality of job applicants but they have no
initiative to give quality education to their students. None of us are committed to our profession
and responsible for gap between demand and supply of skilled manpower.

The writer is a legal economist.

Email: mssiddiqui2035@gmail.com