600 educational institutions to be built on cadet college model

The government is planning to establish 600 model schools and colleges in 300 parliamentary constituencies across the country, modeled after cadet colleges.

According to the proposal, each constituency will have one institution for boys and one for girls. These institutions will be residential, and students will be admitted from the sixth grade.

Under government directive, the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE) has drafted a preliminary proposal for the establishment of 600 model schools and colleges.

It is initially estimated that the implementation of the project, named ''Construction of 600 Model Schools and Colleges in selected areas, '' could cost around Tk 684. 42 billion.

Currently, there are no fully residential government secondary schools in the country. A few older schools and colleges have dormitories. On the other hand, many residential schools and madrasas have been established privately, although their number is not known.

There are 12 cadet colleges, of which 9 are for boys and 3 for girls. Cadet colleges are residential and admit students from the seventh grade, providing education up to the HSC.

Many education experts and education administration officials believe that the decision to establish residential schools and colleges at the government level is positive. This will provide children from low and middle-income families the opportunity to study in residential educational institutions.

However, a survey is necessary to determine where such residential educational institutions are needed. Establishing well-planned residential institutions in hill areas, haor regions like Sunamganj, char regions, remote and educationally deprived areas, and densely populated areas can yield positive results.

In addition to new educational institutions, many education experts and education administration officials believe that it is also crucial to take robust initiatives for improving the quality of existing primary, secondary, and higher secondary educational institutions, overcoming learning gaps, resolving teacher shortages, and improving infrastructure.

When asked, Education Minister ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon told Prothom Alo that the main objective of this initiative is to establish ''Centres of Excellence'' at the government level. These institutions are planned to ensure a high-quality educational environment for the talented students of the country. However, along with the new institutions, the government is also prioritizing the improvement of educational quality in existing institutions, and work will be done towards that goal.

The Education Minister provided examples of some renowned private educational institutions, stating that similar high-quality institutions will be established under the government system, allowing students to access top-notch education at the government level.

According to DSHE's s proposal, approximately three acres of land will be required for each educational institution. The cost of land acquisition is estimated to be around Tk 300 billion. Additionally, plans include constructing 600 academic buildings, each 10 stories high, with an estimated cost of Tk 800 million per building, totaling approximately Tk 240 billion in expenses for this sector.

The proposed project also includes plans to construct a total of 600 hostels for boys and girls, with each costing Tk 100 million, amounting to a total expense of Tk 60 billion. Furthermore, setting up 600 artificial intelligence (AI) labs is estimated to cost Tk 12 billion.

The project will be implemented over five years, between 2026 and 2030. It is estimated that the total expenditure, including administrative expenses, salaries and allowances for officers and employees, capital expenses, and ancillary costs, will be Tk 684. 42 billion. Discussions are also ongoing about obtaining foreign loan assistance for the project's implementation.

DSHE indicates that modern, equivalent educational facilities have not yet been reached in all parts of the country, especially in rural, underdeveloped, and infrastructurally backward areas.

According to the current government's electoral commitment, the aim is to reduce social and geographical disparities in the education sector and expand technology-based education.

The Director-General of the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE), Khan Moinuddin Al Mahmood, told Prothom Alo that the primary objective of establishing 600 model schools and colleges is to expand opportunities for quality education in different regions of the country, particularly in backward areas. However, before making a final decision, the project's costs, necessity, feasibility, and improvements to existing educational institutions will be considered.

According to the 2024 report from the Bangladesh Bureau of Education Information and Statistics (BANBEIS), there are over 9. 4 million students at the secondary level in the country. Among them, approximately 7. 8 million students are in over 19, 000 secondary schools, while 1514 school and colleges (which also teach at the secondary level) enroll more than 1. 564 million students.

Moreover, a large number of students study in madrasas, but this number is not available to government agencies. Approximately 26, 000 students study in English medium schools.

There are concerns about the quality of secondary education in the country. In government secondary schools, there are 15, 293 sanctioned posts for assistant teachers, of which 2, 842 positions are vacant, meaning over 18 per cent of these posts lack teachers.

According to research by the Monitoring and Evaluation Section of DSHE, secondary students lag in proficiency in English and mathematics. Even in Bangla, students' performance does not meet the desired standard. Mainly, due to inadequate schooling, students are forced to seek tutoring and coaching.

Many parents complain that teachers prioritise private tutoring over classroom teaching, increasing the financial burden on families.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) reported in a 2023 research paper that families bear 71 per cent of the costs in Bangladesh's education sector.

Education stakeholders say that there have been previous initiatives to establish model schools and colleges. However, not all institutions have reached the expected standard. In some cases, even if infrastructure was built, desired outcomes were not achieved due to shortcomings in the quality of education, teacher shortages, and weak management.

They suggest evaluating the success and failure of past initiatives and considering long-term operational costs before taking on new projects.

When asked, associate professor Muhammad Mahbub Morshed from the Institute of Education and Research at Dhaka University told Prothom Alo that while the government's intention might be good, the core questions revolve around necessity and practicality. It is crucial to first consider whether there is a need for residential model schools and colleges across all areas of the country. In his opinion, more emphasis should be placed on improving the quality of existing primary and secondary schools.

Nonetheless, such institutions could be established in specific areas according to necessity.

Muhammad Mahbub Morshed suggests that, instead of isolated initiatives, an integrated plan for the entire education sector should be devised, ensuring the optimal use of limited government resources for maximum benefit.