Dhaka:The government is undertaking extensive plans to enhance the professional skills of teachers across primary, secondary, and higher education levels. These initiatives align with the current government's electoral promises, focusing on providing world-class training, technology-driven classroom operations, and improving the social and financial security of educators.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the Bangladesh Bureau of Educational Information and Statistics (BANBEIS) reports that there are currently 3,83,624 primary school teachers and 6,73,501 teachers in secondary and higher education. The government aims to allocate 5% of the GDP to the education sector, enhancing merit-based teaching and the socio-economic status of teachers.
Professor Dr. Khan Moinuddin Al Mahmud Sohel, Director General of the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE), emphasized the government's focus on improving education quality. The aim is to attract talented individuals to the teaching profession by fostering a skilled and competent teaching workforce.
A major component of this initiative is the Learning Acceleration in Secondary Education (LAISE) project, supported by the World Bank, which targets training 3,60,566 teachers. This project includes various training programs, such as residential basic training for newly employed teachers, leadership training for headmasters, and ICT training, among others. Additionally, 20,680 smart classrooms are being established in 10,340 educational institutions.
Efforts are also underway for a "NextGen Secondary Education" project, pending approval, which seeks to further enhance teacher training and professional quality from 2027 to 2031. Moreover, a Taka 17.938 crore project aims to provide technology-based classroom resources, such as tablets and smart classrooms, to over 7 lakh teachers.
The government plans to establish a 'Higher Secondary Teachers Training Institute' in 32 districts and launch a 'National Education TV Channel' for AI and interactive content. Additional initiatives include English language proficiency training and leadership programs for educators.
For primary education, the government has developed the 'one tab one teacher' initiative and is working on the Fifth Primary Education Development Program (PEDP5), aimed at digitalizing educational content and infrastructure. This includes providing connectivity to 65,569 government primary schools and addressing legal issues related to headmaster promotions.