Fourth Industrial Revolution: How prepared is Bangladesh’s education system?

The Fourth Industrial Revolution is a transformative change, where a new kind of industrial revolution is occurring based on technology, data, and automation. Due to the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the use of technology in education and the modernization of the education system have become important issues. Technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, the Internet of Things, robotics, and big data are now mainstream in the education system. This change is having a profound impact on the world’s education systems, and Bangladesh is no exception. The question is, how prepared is Bangladesh’s education system for the challenges and opportunities of the Fourth Industrial Revolution?

Various educational plans have been adopted at different levels of education in Bangladesh, from primary to higher education, keeping the Fourth Industrial Revolution in mind, and some of them have been partially implemented. A notable example is the introduction of a new curriculum at the secondary level and the development of new textbooks based on this curriculum. Sadly, this curriculum implementation has failed before it could take off. The main reason is that the people involved in the curriculum reform did not realize the need to use research-based data considering the socio-economic and technological opportunities of Bangladesh before making changes to the curriculum.

Adequate research, pilot programs, and consultation with all relevant stakeholders should have been conducted before implementing the new curriculum. As a result, from the very beginning, students and their parents have been trying to label the new curriculum as ineffective and incompatible with the country’s needs. This public discontent has been so widespread that it has created a lack of trust in the education system among teachers, students, and parents. It is quite certain that the curriculum-related changes are going to fail in practical terms, and the huge amount of money spent on this work will be considered as a waste of the state’s resources.

In the context of higher education, the UGC has directed universities to move towards outcome-based education to meet the demands of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Outcome-based education is essentially a highly effective teaching method that helps students achieve specific goals and skills. But to ensure its proper implementation, deep analysis and training of teachers according to international standards are required. If this change is brought about simply by giving instructions, it will not be effective.

Not only that, Institutional Quality Assurance Cells (IQACs) have been formed in universities to improve the quality of higher education. However, if these cells are formed only to fulfill institutional norms and their effectiveness is not properly evaluated, then it will not be very fruitful. But the question is, to what extent are these plans effective in creating skilled manpower as per the demands of the Fourth Industrial Revolution? Are we making such decisions after careful analysis, or are such decisions being made on a trial and error basis?

Plans based on trial and error can yield unexpected results in the long run. Therefore, it is very important to think deeply, conduct research, and adopt activities consistent with international standards when making plans. It is not enough to just make plans; their proper implementation and evaluation are also very important.

The extent to which we are utilizing various stakeholders in the context of offering different courses at the university level and in the ongoing curriculum revision is also questionable. We have not yet seen any specific plan on how to bridge the gap between demand and supply due to our inability to connect our higher education institutions with various industries.

A recent example of universities failing to supply graduates that meet the demands of employers is the Bangladesh Bank’s 9th Grade Maintenance Engineer recruitment exam in 2023. Although nearly 5,000 candidates applied for the position, Bangladesh Bank did not hire anyone, as none of the candidates were deemed qualified according to their requirements.

The training and technological proficiency of teachers are crucial for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Many teachers still do not have a complete understanding of technology and its use, which is a major reason for students falling behind. It is unclear how we are considering the need for skilled manpower to meet the demands of the Fourth Industrial Revolution given this mismatch and lack of planning between job market demand and supply.

While developed countries offer various types of certificate and diploma courses to help students who have dropped out of mainstream education to develop skills in line with job demands, such higher education opportunities are virtually non-existent in Bangladesh.

If such educational opportunities could be created, people of all ages would have the chance to be involved in the mainstream of university education. However, in our country, by giving the opportunity to sit for the university entrance exam only once after higher secondary, people of different ages have been deprived of the opportunity to be involved in the mainstream of education. Not only that, it can be seen in various universities that various courses are being offered under evening programs. There is a lot of discussion about the quality and commercialization of these courses. Therefore, to create a skilled workforce, we need coordination between universities and industry. It is necessary to verify what kind of skills the graduates of universities have been able to use in the industrial sector over the past 10 years and what new types of qualifications are being demanded. The opinions of alumni can play an important role in making the university up-to-date.

Instead of merely dreaming about luxurious possibilities, we should focus on providing skilled graduates who meet the demands of the Fourth Industrial Revolution through effective and comprehensive action plans. By fostering collaboration among teachers, students, educational institutions, and employers, we can achieve this. Above all, we must restructure our educational curriculum so that students can acquire the necessary skills for important industries, including the garment sector, through industrial training and internships. To this end, it is imperative to identify the skills required for the Fourth Industrial Revolution and implement effective changes in the curriculum and evaluation processes from the lower to the higher levels of education.

Rather than viewing this qualitative change as an isolated element, it is imperative to integrate the entire education system, from primary to higher education, into the process of transformation. Otherwise, the desired goal of success may not be achieved. Additionally, integrating technology into the educational process, providing effective training to teachers, and enhancing the technological skills of both teachers and students can accelerate the path to keeping pace with the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The government should invest more in this area and adopt a comprehensive plan so that all educational institutions in the country can utilize the opportunities presented by the Fourth Industrial Revolution and facilitate economic development through the creation of a skilled workforce.