Teacher training key to advancing early childhood development: Bobby Hajjaj

Independent University, Bangladesh has hosted a national dialogue on early childhood development, bringing together policymakers, academics, development practitioners and representatives from government and non-government organisations to discuss policy, teacher training, curriculum reform and implementation strategies.

The seminar, titled "National Dialogue on Early Childhood Development Policy and Practice", was organised by the Department of Public Health under the School of Pharmacy and Public Health of Independent University, Bangladesh on 22 June.

Bobby Hajjaj, Member of Parliament and State Minister for Primary and Mass Education, attended the seminar as chief guest.

Professor Dr M Tamim, Vice Chancellor of Independent University, Bangladesh, chaired the session.

Didar A Husain, Chairman of the Independent University, Bangladesh Board of Trustees; Trustee Javed Hosein; and Farid Ahmed, Director General of the National Academy for Primary Education, attended as special guests.

Speaking at the seminar, Bobby Hajjaj said improving early childhood development required sustained investment in both curriculum and teacher development.

"Curriculum reform must come first, as it provides the foundation for how children learn and how teachers engage with them. At the pre-primary and primary levels, learning should focus on developing children's cognitive abilities, curiosity, communication skills, and problem-solving capacity," he said.

He also said Bangladesh needed to move beyond approaches that emphasise memorisation and examination performance and instead create learning environments that actively engage children.

"The government remains committed to strengthening teacher training and modernising educational practices to support these goals," he said.

The state minister also praised Independent University, Bangladesh for bringing together key stakeholders working on early childhood development in a national-level dialogue.

Farid Ahmed said early childhood development was a shared responsibility of parents, schools and the government.

"It goes far beyond counting classrooms, benches, or facilities; it is about creating an environment that supports children's learning, development, well-being, and future potential from the very beginning," he said.

Professor Dr M Tamim said Independent University, Bangladesh was fully committed to partnering and cooperating with government and non-government organisations and stakeholders to advance early childhood development.

Mahmuda Akhter, Vice-Chair of the Bangladesh ECD Network, delivered a keynote presentation highlighting the importance of early childhood development, with particular emphasis on the pre-primary stage.

She discussed the need for coordinated efforts to strengthen early childhood development initiatives and highlighted the role of stakeholders in supporting children during their formative years.

Dr Kamran ul Baset, PhD, Dean of the School of Pharmacy and Public Health, delivered another keynote presentation on teacher development and training, particularly at the pre-primary and primary levels.

He emphasised the importance of strengthening teacher capacity to support early childhood development and later moderated an open discussion involving representatives from government agencies, academia, development organisations and the private sector.

Professor Dr Daniel W Lund, Pro Vice Chancellor of Independent University, Bangladesh, delivered the closing remarks.

The programme was hosted by Dr Tanvir Ahmed, Senior Lecturer of Public Health at Independent University, Bangladesh, while Dr Bilkis Banu, Associate Professor of Public Health, delivered the opening remarks.

The Bangladesh ECD Network is a national platform of organisations and professionals working to promote early childhood development in Bangladesh through advocacy, knowledge sharing, capacity building and collaboration among stakeholders to support the holistic development of young children.

Independent University, Bangladesh is an executive member of the Bangladesh ECD Network.