The extension of free and compulsory primary education up to Class VIII as set out in the National Education Policy 2010 is unlikely to begin in 2012 as the government has not yet taken any of the relevant steps that are required for it to happen.
On March 8, the first meeting of the subcommittee set up to implement primary schooling decided that the extension would begin in 2012 on a pilot basis in some schools.
But now the subcommittee chair primary and mass education secretary AKM Abdul Awal Mazumder has told New Age that it is uncertain whether the extension of free education will begin in 2012.
The National Education Policy recommended extending free and compulsory education from Class V up to VIII, and introducing one-year pre-primary education for children over five years of age.
The cabinet on May 31, 2010 approved the education policy. The policy was adopted in the parliament on December 7.
On January 26, the education ministry formed several subcommittees to implement the education policy.
One subcommittee, chaired by the secretary of the primary and mass education ministry AKM Abdul Awal Mazumder, was set up to report and recommend on how the extension of primary education up to Class VIII can be implemented.
The subcommittee was asked to report and make recommendations within two months.
But the committee could not submit the report and recommendations in deadline.
The committee has only met once.
One member of the subcommittee told New Age that it will be difficult to implement the extension of primary education in 2012 if the subcommittee works in this way.
'It is a big task but the subcommittee is running in a slow manner. The ministry cannot extend it in 2012 if the work of committee progresses in this way,' a subcommittee member said.
Another member of the subcommittee, Quazi Faruque Ahmed, told New Age that he had phoned the committee chair about the progress of the primary extension.
'I phoned him about the progress of the committee. He told me that the committee has progressed in some cases and he would call another meeting very soon,' he said.
AKM Abdul Awal Mazumder on June 28 told New Age that it was not certain whether the extension would begin in 2012.
'We are not certain at the moment whether we can start the extension in 2012. We are collecting data and estimating cost. After estimating everything, we can start the extension,' he said.
He said that he would call another meeting after estimating costs.
The education secretary, Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury, is responsible for coordinating the works of all subcommittees formed to implement National Education Policy 2010.
Kamal Abdul Naser said that his ministry was waiting for the report and recommendation from the subcommittee.
'We are waiting for the report and recommendations from the subcommittee,' he said.
Asked whether it is possible to begin the extension in 2012, he said, 'In this stage, I do not want to say anything further.'
Source : New Age
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