Govt working to minimise digital divide, education gap: Planning Minister

Planning Minister MA Mannan said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her government will continue to make efforts so that the digital divide is minimised and each Bangladeshi gets a fair opportunity to education.

The minister made the remarks while speaking as chief guest at the closing session of a two-day long virtual seminar titled "Accelerating Progress and Equity in Education during the Pandemic in Bangladesh" held Sunday, said a press release.

The South Asian Institute of Policy and Governance (SIPG) organised the programme at North South University (NSU) and KASpaces of the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS), Germany, said a press release issued from NSU.

MA Mannan also hoped that the end of this difficult time is near and the existing inequity in the education sector will be eliminated.   

The purpose of the national seminar was to share experiences and address the challenges of SDG 4, which is to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all in this pandemic.

NSU Vice-chancellor Prof Atiqul Islam said the digital divide is being minimised by providing financial and technical support to the students of NSU. 

"This pandemic has led us to some innovations that will remain with us for the upcoming days," he added.  

He opined that when the university opens, authorities need to ensure the health protocols and participation of all the students through both online and offline measures. 

Alina Reiss, deputy director of KAS Political Dialogue Asia Program appreciated the undertaken initiatives by the Bangladesh government such as three-phase response plan, utilization of AI, personalised learning system and use of TV, radio, mobile to facilitate remote learning during the pandemic.

She also highlighted the importance of exchanging dialogues and research among different organisations to ensure quality education. 

Dr M Mahfuzul Haque, NSU faculty member, said, the "Blended Model of Pedagogy" is the future of education and to reap full benefits of it both students and teachers need to adapt to it. 

The deficit in ICT infrastructure, poverty, traditional mindset, and the high price of data are a few of the major reasons behind the digital divide in Bangladesh, he added.

Academics, researchers, primary and secondary school teachers, college administrators, local-level education officials, representatives from the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Planning, journalists, and students were present in this two day-long virtual national seminar.