Dhaka: Convener of the Citizen’s Platform for sustainable development goals (SDG), Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, emphasized the importance of technical and vocational education in tackling Bangladesh’s challenges after its graduation from the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) list. He highlighted the need to prioritize these educational sectors over discriminatory policies to effectively develop human resources. Dr Bhattacharya shared these insights during a media briefing titled “Technical and Vocational Education in Bangladesh: Current Situation and Reform Thoughts” held at the CPD office in the city.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the event was organized by the Citizen’s Platform for SDGs with the aim of drawing government attention to the issues concerning technical and vocational education institutions. The media briefing sought to expedite national initiatives by addressing the current situation and proposing potential policy measures for improvement.
Dr Bhattacharya, who is also a distinguished fellow of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), urged the government to focus on technical and vocational education. He noted the ongoing protests by students with various demands and expressed concern over the lack of adequate attention from policymakers and media coverage of their issues.
Last year, the CPD conducted a social audit at the grassroots level with the support of the Citizen’s Platform. This initiative engaged current and former students, trainees, teachers, guardians, government officials, and other stakeholders from technical and vocational education institutions. A national conference based on this research was held in Dhaka on 2 November 2024.
The research uncovered several issues related to teaching methods in technical and vocational institutions, their effectiveness, the acceptance of technical education certificates in domestic and international labor markets, and prevailing negative social perceptions of students and trainees. CPD Distinguished Fellow Dr Mustafizur Rahman was among those present at the occasion.