Bangladesh lags behind in knowledge index

British philosopher Francis Bacon said knowledge is power. Although our policy makers often speak about the importance of cultivating knowledge, this is rarely reflected in the state policy. According to Global Knowledge Index-2020, Bangladesh ranks 112 among 138 countries in the world and came last among the six South Asian countries included on the list.

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation jointly released the global knowledge index on Wednesday. Compared to 2012, Bangladesh upgraded various factors by 0.9 points and got a total score of 35.9, but the global average number is much less than 46.7. In 2012, Bangladesh was ranked 112nd.

The list was made analysing 133 factors in seven sectors. The seven sectors are : pre-university education, technical and vocational education and training, higher education and research, development and innovation, information and communication technology, economics and general capacity. Two years ago, Bangladesh was also lagging behind in the innovation index in Asia. Singapore topped in the list. According to the Global Innovation Index, the least innovative countries are Bangladesh, Kazakhstan, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Pakistan.

Government policy makers are dreaming of a fast digital Bangladesh. They say that by 2031, Bangladesh will reach the middle-income status and by 2041, it will be a developed country. But the reality is that we are far behind in education, technology and innovation. Many vital technologies are beyond our control. Bangladesh is doing quite well in the readymade garments sector. But it cannot be said that there has been sustainable improvement in this sector. Most of the equipment has to be imported from abroad. That is why, Bangladesh ranks 19th among 24 average countries.

The government is proud of its high rate of education. However, Bangladesh is in a worse position than other countries in terms of higher education among the variables of the global knowledge index. According to a report by the Economist Intelligence Unit a few years ago, Bangladesh has the highest number of educated unemployed. In other words, the practical value of what is being taught in our educational institutions is very low. We are not able to impart knowledge that has practical value.

In the Global Knowledge Index, India is at the forefront (75th in the world) among the South Asian countries with 44.4 points. Sri Lanka is ranked second in South Asia and 87th in the world with 42.1 points. On the other hand, Bhutan, Nepal and Pakistan are in the third, fourth and fifth place with scores of 40.9, 36.2 and 35.9 respectively. Bangladesh's position in South Asia with a score of 35.9 is very pitiful.

Bangladesh is doing well in various indicators of economy and human resources. Both our average income and life expectancy have increased. But this development will not be sustainable without the requisite development in the education and technology sector. Therefore, the government should move away from education that creates unemployment and focus on technology-based and up-to-date education.