Education and future of Bangladesh–I

Professor Matiur Rahman

Future of this country is intimately linked to her education system. The great philosopher Bertrand Russell said, “If you want to predict the future of a nation, go and visit the classrooms of that country, if the affairs in the classrooms are going on smoothly, the future of that nation is secured and if the affairs in the classrooms are otherwise — future of that nation is better not spoken”.
   Since the liberation of the country, education system has suffered continuously from all sorts of undesirable, negative forces like indiscipline, excessive politicisation, corruption and violence; as a result the academic atmosphere at teaching institutions so miserably deteriorated that it has become a serious concern among the conscious section of the population. And this concern was adequately expressed by no less a person that the former President Justice Shahabuddin Ahmed at Golden Jubilee celebration of Notredame College in 1999. He mentioned that in some educational institutions there were terrorism, arms race and even killings in the name of student politics. What a family, society and country could expect from those involved in such wicked activities.
   The President further said that “a cancerous condition has gripped the country’s entire education sector” and this happened in spite of several education commissions beginning from the one by Dr. Qudrat-e-Khuda in 1974.
   As untreated cancer shall most certainly bring doom and destruction to the suffering individual; similarly the cancerous process is afflicting the education system of Bangladesh. If not addressed properly and radically no doubt the doom is certain to occur. Question may arise: Is it possible to treat this “cancer” as it has reached a stage of’ irreversibility?
   I would say that there is still time to address the ailments of our education system if we are to survive as a nation. In this article I shall briefly touch upon the different tiers of education i.e. primary, secondary and higher education in our country, vis-à-vis one or two Asian countries, identify the ailments in our system compared to others and suggest corrective measures.
   
   Background
   The word education is derived from Latin word “educare” which means to instruct, to train. In the primitive, pre-historic period this training and teaching was done by the elder family members and then the priests. With further progress of civilisation this teaching job was taken up by specialised people named teachers. Therefore, one can say that education is bipolar: on one pole there are students and on the other the teachers. The institutions may be called the third pole.
   And the three stages of education i.e. primary, secondary and higher education can be found in all the major civilisations i.e. Persian, Byzantine and Islamic civilisations until the present time. No one will argue that the legitimate aim of education is acquisition of knowledge and knowledge is the most effective driving force in the national development. And indeed if we look to the present day world we see the most powerful and developed nations in the world arc those who are educationally more advanced. The most under developed countries are educationally backward. And without good education no nation can develop her economy, agriculture, industry, science and technology and their national defence.
   Although Islam gives topmost priority on education and has a definite contribution and influence in the growth of the modern Western civilisation, nevertheless today, most of the Muslim majority countries including Bangladesh are educationally backward; consequently getting behind economically, social1y, culturally.
   The only exception I can see is Malaysia. A country much backward compared to Bangladesh in every respect at the time of independence from the British, is now moving fast against many odds. I was so impressed by their progress and development visiting Malaysia in the mid-eighties that I wanted to visit their university. But I was told that no foreigners are allowed to enter their university. When I insisted they arranged my visit to the National University in Kuala Lumpur obtaining a pass with a guide. On enquiry I found that immediately after liberation in the late-forties the universities were plagued with violence, just as we had, but Tenku Abdur Rahman made strict laws regarding universities for their smooth conduct of educational activities and the outcome is a modern industrialised Malaysia. If we look at Japan and India we find similar progress.
   
   Education in Japan
   The modern system of education in Japan was announced as a government’s plan in 1872. This plan envisaged dividing Japan initially into eight educational regions, in each of which there were to be one university, thirty-two secondary schools and 210 primary schools. In 1886, enrolment in primary school was 46 per cent in 1895; this rose to 60 per cent and in 1906 it was 95 per cent. However the key role in developing modern education in Japan was played by Mr. Mori Arinori (Education Minister from 1885-1889) who promulgated the ordinance in1886 which continued for 20 years until 1906.
   Primary education involves attendance for 5 hours, 6 days a week for 6 years followed by similar hours in secondary schools, before going to the university. Close govt. control in the form of prescribing text books, exercising supervision of schools through the local governments i.e. village and town authorities was strictly followed.
   Private institutions were subjected to official authorisation and inspection. Thus the entire education system was made subservient to the nation’s need; practical training through a curriculum on European lines was imparted. Side by side, moral education based on Confucian ethics and an Emperor-based nationalism was imparted. This education system produced a strong and unified Japan and was also fiindaniental to the full development of Japan as an industrialised nation — a beautiful and strong Japan.
   
   Education in India
   Being a country with heritage of ancient civilisation, India followed and improved on the inherited British system of education with importance towards modernisation not allowing any politics, as was done in our education system. India allowed English to flourish (although Hindi is their national language) and emotionally did not throw away this important international language though they do everything through the medium of Hindi; and the result is fast growth of educated English knowing middle class converting backward India to modernity and a potential power. On the contrary neglecting English and moral education we have retarded the growth of both mother tongue Bangla; and neglecting English means to remain detached from the vast source of knowledge, producing near-illiterate graduates. Indian leaders realised that all progress depends on mass education, like Mori Arinori of Japan. Moulana Azad played an important role in laying the solid foundation of independent Indian education system in 1947, which is still being continued up to the present time.
   Education must involve material as well as spiritual (religious) aspects: (Gandhiji said, “True education should result not in the material power but in spiritual force”. He further said, “Life without religion is life without principle, and life without principle is like a ship without a rudder. Just as a ship without a rudder will be tossed about from place to place and never reach its destination, so a man without religious backing will be so tossed about on this stormy ocean of the world, without reaching the destined goal”. Compared to what I described about education in three Asian countries, I would now like to see the situation of education in Bangladesh, particularly since liberation, involving all three “poles” of education and all three “tiers” of education.
   
   Education in Bangladesh
   Primary and mass education: Out of the three tiers of education primary education is most important because it is here that future of children are being taught and trained; and thereby future of the nation is determined. Therefore, topmost priority should be given on primary and mass education. Bangladesh constitution in Article 17 states:
   “The state shall adopt effective measures for the purpose of—
   (a) establishing a uniform mass-oriented and universal system of education and extending free and compulsory education to all children to such stage as may be determined by law
   (a) relating education to the needs of society and producing properly trained and motivated citizens to serve those needs
   (b) removing illiteracy within such time as may be determined by law.”
   Our Constitution is clear in its objectives of education. But 36 years after liberation, in spite of tangible progress, increased number of enrolment and equalising the gender difference, the nation is far from achieving objectives enshrined in the constitution.
   In the year 1990 the United Nation (UN) declared the international literacy day with the slogan Education for All (EFA) by the year 2000. Now this has been revised and the current slogan is EFA by the year 2015. The question is, whether this would be possible. The answer is: no if we go as usual, and yes if we can organise and administer our Primary and mass education by an Education Minister like that of 19th century Japanese education minister Mori Arinori.
   First of all let us realize that Primary and Mass education is such a vital and sensitive area for a nation that we many take ideas, financial assistance from outside sources, but it has to be planned, executed and administered by ourselves in the spirit of nation’s history, background and culture. The curriculum must be framed to educate the children not only on having literacy basic arithmetic but moral, social and ethical education through stories, games, songs, demonstration and so on.
    I visited primary school in Britain where my two girls were students in the late sixties. One day my elder daughter told me that “police” came to their school to teach them how to cross the road. On another occasion while we were going out of the house and before her mother would lock the door my elder daughter asked to wait and entered the room and came back. When asked, she said her teacher Miss Polock had told her to check gas, light and switches of the house to ensure that those are off, which might have been overlooked by her busy mother. Dear reader, I just want to emphasise the importance of character building aspects of children given in Western countries and producing good citizens. And this can only be done by having school with proper environment and most importantly by the well-trained and motivated teachers. All these needs vision, planning, administration and proper supervision.
   (To be continued)

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AMM Shahabuddin

At last blaring Blair, a close friend and ally, a prominent linchpin and henchman of the ‘great world personality’ and ‘destroyer of evils’ President George Bush had suddenly slipped down the hills, creating a big commotion in the world media. Although others could anticipate that Blair’s’ fall was imminent, yet his sudden decision to resign from both Prime Ministership and labour party leadership effective from 27 June was rather sudden.
   It, however, confirms that an internal conflict centring Blair’s leadership was going on within the Labour Party, led by his Finance Minister Brown, who has now been named as the next Prime Minister in his place. Perhaps George Bush, his ‘friend, philosopher and guide’, had also been shocked at Blair’s sudden fall from labour grace.
   Now the most vital question is when one of the two front wheels pulling the chariot of victory, is squeaking, what about the other wheel? It is perhaps not so easy to answer, it being rather a ‘genetic’ or ‘generic’ question, touching two linked vital parts of the same body. After their triumph over ‘war against terror’ in Iraq, destroying Saddam’s evil regime and hanging the ‘devil’, they both had been trying hard to confuse their countrymen by way of masterly tight rope-walking and showing rare political gimmicks to silence their critics. However, by straying going too far from his peoples’ thinking and aspirations, Blair in particular, seemed to have proved himself a political novice and a failure.
   But both have tried to prove that they were thoroughly religions, one being a ‘born-again Christian’ and the other a ‘radical’. Bush had created history when he had once declared that whatever he had done in Afghanistan and Iraq was ordained by god. And to quote him, “God would tell me, ‘George, go and fight these terrorists in Afghanistan,’ and I did.” Then God would tell me, ‘George, go and end tyranny in Iraq, and I did.” And the Americans apparently took his antics seriously and rewarded him by re-electing him for the second-term. But unfortunately, for Blair, the Brits looked the other way. Difficult to mould them.
   
   Bush’s success
   When Blair found that his boss had been rewarded by his people with full respect as a divine personality, a ‘saviour of mankind’, he also decided to follow his foot prints, perhaps, going by the time-honoured adage: “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery”. So one fine morning, Blair declared, in a British TV channel interview, supporting his role in the US-led war against Iraq, that “God and history would judge” his action in joining Iraq war. When pressed by the interviewer to clarify what he meant, Blair replied: “If yon believe in God, it is made by God as well”. Perhaps the British people refused to go by what Blair emphasised saying, “If you believe in God…” So they turned back instead of being befooled by Blair who had already created the ‘block hole’ for his political life.
   The majority of the people was gradually getting disillusioned and losing faith in Blair, particularly the parents and the near and dear ones of the British soldiers who died in Iraq war in hundreds and whose body-bags’ were reaching home in increasing members belying what Blair was preaching, echoing his boss. Believing that God is with him too, Blair attempted to become another divine preacher! So he had continued to play second-fiddle to Bush very consistently and shamelessly, making himself ridiculous before his own people.
   However, Blair had ultimately realised that Britons are made of sterner stuff than the Yankees and started his own count down and finally announcing his withdrawal from the top political post. Of course, this realisation had come to him very slowly and step by step. The very first shock for Blair was when Bush came on a state visit to Britain sometime back. Instead of giving a rousing welcome reception to the war hero and world leader, to his utter disappointment, Bush saw the London streets were filled with thousands of anti-Bush and anti-Blair demonstrators, carrying placards and cartoons denouncing the Royal guest and his honourable host. In one of such cartoons, carried by the demonstrators, Blair was shown as “poodle”, peeping through his boss’s pocket!
   During the US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice’s official visit to London, there were also huge anti-Rice demonstrations on London Streets. The demonstrators carried anti Rice and anti-US placards, one of which read: “Condi Rice: American idiot.” These shocking developments gradually helped to open Blair’s eyes to the ground reality and he made preparation to save his skin from further heat. He could read the bold writings on the wall, reflecting the great change that the British people had undergone regarding Iraq war and Blair’s undignified participation in it, blindly following what Bush was telling him.
   According a recent poll conducted by the daily The Telegraph, only 12 per cent Brits “trust” that Americans “to act wisely on global stage.” The Telegraph poll also said that America was now being led by an “incompetent President.” And what more sweet things Bush expects from home and abroad? Former US President Carter has struck the last nail, when he recently said that Bush was the “worst ever” US President! The unkindest cut of all although he had later tried to play down his own statement. But the damage had already been done.
   
   ‘Labour (Party) pain’?
   Blair had at last announced his resignations both from the post of Prime Minister and labour party leadership in view of his increasing isolation from his party as well as the people. Now the buck has been passed on to his Finance Minister Brown who had been literally shadowing Blair for the last couple of years to oust him and step in his shoes. That vital moment had arrived for him who had already been tipped as the next Prime Minister.
   While announcing his resignation, Blair thanked his countrymen “for the times that it went right” and apologised “for the times I (Blair) have fallen short.” There is no doubt, that Blair had done a lot, during his decade-long rule, for economic well-being and development of the people. But the people showed their independence instead of following him blindly in his joining Bush in the Iraq war.
   This is, I think, the glowing historic British tradition! Winston Churchill, a conservative, became a national hero when he put a new life in the physically and morally broken British people in the face of Nazi onslaughts with non-stop air action, the Blitzkrieg day and night, almost crushing the backbone of the British people. Churchill was then welcomed as a new ‘Messiah’. But in the post-war general elections, Churchill and his party was ditched, with the surprising come-back of the labour party from behind!!
   So there is nothing to be surprised that Blair had been shown the door by his people when his utility is over. And to hasten his decision to resign, came from behind the scene the reported ‘mini-coup’ staged by his Finance Minister, Brown, now named as Blair’s successor. It happened last September when Blair was ‘forced’ to give his ‘word of honour’ that he would step down in September next. But with the increase in his ‘labour (party) pain’, Blair ‘delivered’ his final decision to go in June, three months earlier than the schedule he had announced.
   
   A big global job?
    Now what is there in future for Blair? The Daily Telegraph had reported that Blair had ‘agreed’ to a request by his ‘boss’ to act as an “envoy” in a bid to revive the almost derailed US-brokered road-map for Middle East peace. And The Financial Times report had not ruled out that Blair might become the President of the European Union (EU) in next two years time.
   It may be recalled that former US President Clinton, in a BBC interview, had suggested Blair’s name as Secretary-General of the UN. But unfortunately, it had already slipped out of his hand at least for the next four years as the former South Korean Foreign Minister, Ban Ki-moon, is already in occupation of the chair, with blessings from Washington, of course.
   The writer is a retired UN official.

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US concerned at China’s space diplomacy

Barrister Harun ur Rashid

China’s military, diplomatic and economic power cannot be ignored by any country including the only super power, The Unites States. It its latest Pentagon report, the US expressed its concern on China’s “non-transparent” increased spending on defence. In power relations there is no zero sum game. If one power rises, the other power falls. This is the reality.
   America is the only super power and its power extends to land, oceans and space. It does not want to see a challenger of its present supreme status. It has earmarked more than US$400 billion for its military budget this year.
   Another reality is that one power cannot remain forever. In 1993 an author Owen Harris predicted the collapse of the Atlantic alliance. The Iraq war to certain extent proved this prediction. US author Charles Kupchan, Professor of International Affairs at Georgetown University and Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, predicted in 2002 the end of America’s unipolar moment and a new map in the world.
   He writes in his book “The End of the American Era,”: “Combine the rise of Europe and Asia with a declining and prickly internationalism, it becomes clear that America’s unipolar moment is not long for this world. America’s dominance and its political appetite for projecting its power globally have peaked and both will be dissipating over the course of coming decade.” It is one view and one may agree or disagree with Charles Kupchan’s assessment about America’s power.
   Against the above background, however, China’s progress in space technology has worried America. In January, China conducted an anti-satellite test and destroyed one of its own satellites in space by firing a missile. This has been a concern for US because China has now acquired capability to destroy US spy satellites in space. Later, China came out with a statement that its capability to destroy its own satellite did not threaten any country.
   China has assumed a new role and is now acting as a space benefactor to the developing world. The latest and most prominent example came in the third week of May when China launched a communication satellite for Nigeria. The important fact is that China also has provided to Nigeria loan to help pay the bill and will also train Nigerian engineers to operate a tracking system station in the country.
   This is a win-win for both Nigeria and China. Nigeria may be oil-rich but it lacks many of the basic building blocks of a modern, information-based economy. Nigeria’s prestige has gone up among African states because it projects power and modern technology. China on the other hand can get oil from Nigeria.
   China meanwhile has reportedly signed contract with another oil-rich country, Venezuela.
   It is reported that China is developing an earth observation satellite system to cover Bangladesh, Thailand, Indonesia, Pakistan and Iran.
   In recent years, China has managed to get customers with less expensive satellite launching services and has now proven the technology to compete for international contracts.
   With the satellite priced at roughly at US$300 million, the state-owned Export and Import Bank of China grants loan to developing countries for launching satellites. It seems to be an attractive proposition for many middle-income countries.
   Ms. Johnson Freese, chairwoman of the Department of National Security Studies at the US Naval War, reportedly has said that China wants to play a leadership role for developing countries that want to get into space.
   The US is engaged in war in Iraq and Afghanistan and there is a general alienation of developing countries from the Bush administration. They perceive the administration is arrogant, insensitive, and lacks moral authority in the exercise of world power.
   Robert Byrd, the senior most Senator (Democrat) summed up in 2003 about his country as follows: “Today I weep for my country…No more is the image of America one of strong yet benevolent peacekeeper. The image of America has changed. Around the globe, our friends mistrust us, our word is disputed, our intentions are questioned.”
   Strategists believe that the vacuum created by the US as it has focused on so-called war on terror has given an excellent opportunity for rising power China to fill in that benevolent role in developing countries. The Bush administration belatedly realises that many parts of the world are happy to give China that space left by the US.
   When Nigerian satellite was launched, it was televised live. Other countries watched it. This is a great triumph for China’s soft power, winning hearts and minds of people in developing countries.
   For China the strategy is a blend of self-interest, soft power diplomacy and commercial proposition. Satellites have become status symbol and technological necessity for many developing countries because speed and increased productivity are the hallmarks of globalisation. One has to appreciate that a gradual seismic shift in power relations is taking place and China in the last 30 years has changed faster than any
   nation in history.

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