Curriculum of Primary Education and Development of Textbooks
The
school curriculum of a nation is prepared with an eye to the needs of
society and attainment of international standards. Hopefully the revised
primary curriculum reflects these needs. Syllabuses and textbooks were
written in the light of competency-based curriculum. The contexts in the
textbooks for primary schools include health, nutrition, population,
environment, life-oriented technologies suitable for the 21st century.
It is expected that the present curriculum relevant and rational,
textbooks were revised in 2001. New textbooks were written for students
of level I and II. These books have already been handed over to students
in the beginning of 2003. National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) is responsible for the development of primary education curriculum. Improvement and renewal of curriculum at primary level is also taken by this organization as and when required.
The NCTB undertook a programme called the Quality-Based Curriculum Implementation and Inspection in primary schools to supervise the implementation of the newly introduced curriculum. There are two aspects of this programme: firstly, the observation of classroom teaching style on textbooks written in the light of competency-based curriculum and secondly, collection of the data related to the achievement of competency through testing based on Multiple Ways of Teaching and Learning in five selected districts. In the programme area primary students learn in multiple ways by obsessing, listening, or doing something like singing or rhyme exercises. It has been found through research that here are seven types of intelligence in human beings. Strong and weak intelligences of the children can be identified through their behaviors and styles of learning. This programme aims at making the students' learning processes easy, delightful and attractive through the practice of multiple activities in the classrooms. The Directorate of primary Education has expanded this programme under help improve teaching learning environment to a desired level.
NCTB organized a national workshop to modify the rules of spelling in Ballad. On the recommendation of the workshop rules of Bangla spelling were newly formulated to revised, and are being followed in the primary school textbooks. Besides, the Shishu (Children's) Academy, Madrasha Education Board and other organizations are following these rules of Bangla language spelling. Supplementary reading materials have also been developed for primary schools by the NCTB. Under a project, a sample National Assessment of Grade 3 and 5 student's achievement in four subject areas was completed. The study showed the trend of students' achievement to be quile low.
Improvement in the Quality of Primary Education
While
the quantitative aspect of primary education has achieved considerable
success, the qualitative aspect of primary duration is year to improve
to the expected level. Teachers still use traditional methods, which are
not appropriated for implementing the new curriculum. Primary schools
and classes are not attractive to the students. As a result, they remain
absent. Inadequate contact hour and crowded classes also affect the
quality of teaching. There is also lack of proper supervision and
accountability. A number of measures have been taken to improve the
qualitative situation: 