Staff reporter:
Education, Primary and Mass Education Minister Dr A.N.M. Ehsanul Haque Milon today expressed hope that multifaceted cooperation and the exchange of expertise in education and technology would further strengthen the longstanding friendship between Bangladesh and China.
He said Chinese government support would open new horizons for modernising the country’s education system, beginning at the primary level, and developing a skilled workforce.
The minister was addressing a function at Shamsul Haque Khan School and College here, where smart classroom grants were distributed under the initiative titled ‘Lighting up the Future’.
Liu Haixing, Minister of the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Md. Mahbubur Rahman Molla, principal of the college, members of its governing body, teachers and students attended the programme.
Recalling the longstanding relations between Bangladesh and China, Milon said the foundation of the friendship was laid during the tenure of late President Ziaur Rahman.
He said cooperation and exchanges of expertise in various fields, particularly education and technology, would further consolidate the bilateral relationship.
The minister also said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman signed several memorandums of understanding (MoUs) during his visit to China to promote cooperation in different sectors, including education. These agreements would play a significant role in advancing Bangladesh-China relations, he added.
Referring to the ‘Beijing Agreement’, Milon said extensive cooperation with China had already begun in technical education and skills development.
Under the initiative, Chinese curricula, laboratories, instructors and certification systems are being introduced at nine polytechnic institutes, including Dhaka Polytechnic Institute and an institute in Cox’s Bazar.
He said Chinese language courses had also been introduced at around 50 universities across the country.
Terming China the only country to have come forward with support for improving the quality of primary education, the minister said smart classrooms and laboratories would be established in primary schools across the country from next year.
Regarding the SSC and HSC examinations, Milon said the government had taken special measures to ensure transparency in the evaluation of answer scripts and prevent students from losing an academic year.
He said future government initiatives would be based on an accurate assessment of the actual state and quality of education rather than inflated examination results.
Speaking at the programme, Liu Haixing said two smart classrooms equipped with technology developed by Huawei, a leading Chinese technology company, had been gifted to the institution.
He expressed hope that the facilities would provide students with greater access to the digital world and create new opportunities for their future.
Describing the gifts from the Chinese people and the CPC as a reflection of their deep affection for Bangladesh, Liu said the initiative would further strengthen the historic friendship between the two countries for generations to come.
He also invited the school’s teachers and students to visit China to experience firsthand the warmth and friendship of the Chinese people towards Bangladesh.
Under China’s smart classroom and educational support programme, modern equipment and educational materials belonging to 28 categories were donated to the institution.
