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A country that does not update its academic model with the times faces the threat of obsolescence

Secondary school education in Bangladesh has long been in need of reform -- with outdated syllabuses, erroneous textbooks, and inadequately trained teachers at the helm.

To that end, it is good to see the government recognize the need to update the requirement of committing to a single stream of education. This is for the best: The old rule is restrictive and potentially counter-productive, particularly in the modern age.

Now, instead of the three separate streams of science, arts, and commerce, students will be able to learn from a blend of subjects until their Higher Secondary Education (HSC). The textbook board is doing its part in the plan, and has identified 10 different areas of learning, which include diverse fields such as communication, logic, science and technology, IT, world citizenship, the environment and climate, mental health and wellness, and the arts.

Hopefully this is just the beginning, because we will not achieve better quality education overnight. Our education board and teachers in our classrooms need to be in tune with the times, and they need to constantly evolve and adapt.

A country that does not update its academic model with the times faces the threat of obsolescence. In the year 2020, technology is transforming our lives faster than ever before, the threat of climate change looms large, and the business and geopolitical rules of the world are changing.

Bangladesh needs to now compete with the rest of the world, which is an exciting world where disparate branches of knowledge interact with each other. It is good to see the country make a much-needed change, one that will create a generation of well-informed young citizens prepared for the future.