New academic year begins with a big change

New academic year begins today, 1 January, with a big change in the secondary education as science, humanities and commerce groups won't exist in Class IX.

Although distribution of books free of cost kicks off in the educational institutions across the country today, printing of around 25 million books for Class VIII and Class IX has not been completed. So all students will not get books on the first day of the academic year.

A new curriculum was introduced in Class I, VI and VII in the outgoing year. A new curriculum is going to be introduced in four more classes this year (2024). The classes are II, III, VIII and IX.

A new curriculum will be introduced in Class IV, V and X next year. Later, a new curriculum will be introduced in XI in 2026 and XII in 2027.
As per the new system, students have to study 10 common subjects till Class X.

Earlier, students would study common subjects till Class VIII. Then in Class IX, the students had to choose science, humanities or commerce groups with some common subjects.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, NCTB member Professor Md Moshiuzzaman said 19 per cent of the students would study science in the secondary level. The remaining students would study humanities and commerce groups. In the higher secondary level, half of the students would leave science and study humanities or commerce. Now the students' interest in science will grow.

Under the new system, group selections will take place in the higher secondary level.

Some observe that the portion of science is decreasing in Class IX and X. The students, who will study science in the higher secondary level, may face trouble.  

They said one or two optional subjects may be included in the secondary level.

National Curriculum Development and Revision Core Committee member and Dhaka University Education and Research Institute (IER) professor M Tarique Ahsan does not agree with this view.

He said the depth of the new system will increase. All students will achieve a base on all subjects. The concept that only 'good students' will study science, will change.

If one or two optional subjects were included in the secondary level, it would have an impact on the students, Tarique noted.

He said science, humanities and commerce were introduced in 1959.

The curriculum was last revised at the primary and secondary level in 2012.

Except for the coronavirus period, the government has been distributing books free of cost at all the educational institutions at the primary and secondary level across the country on the first day of the academic year since 2010.

It has become a tradition. Accordingly, new books will be distributed in schools across the country today, the first day of the New Year.

NCTB sources said over 307 million books will be distributed free of cost. Of these, over 93 million books will be distributed at the primary level while over 213 million books will be distributed at the secondary level.

Sources said all primary books have been published. But all books of secondary level have not been published. Of the over 100 million books for classes VIII and IX, print of about 25 million till Sunday, the last of the outgoing year.

When asked about the matter, National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) chairman professor Md Farhadul Islam said finalisation of manuscripts of several books of class VIII and IX took time till mid-December. So it takes time to print around 25 million books.

Students of Class VIII and IX will get from six to eight books on the first day. They will get the remaining books by 10 January.

*This report, originally published in Prothom Alo print and online editions, has been rewritten in English by Rabiul Islam