Listening, speaking skills to get greater focus in new primary curriculum: Hajjaj
Children should get opportunities to access and benefit from that global knowledge, he says.
Listening and speaking skills will receive greater emphasis alongside reading and writing in the new primary education curriculum, State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Bobby Hajjaj said today (9 September).
"The curriculum would include necessary exercises and activities to help students develop not only reading and writing skills but also the ability to understand what they hear, speak accurately and express their thoughts," he said.
The state minister made the remarks as the chief guest at the Bangladesh TMTE (Training of Master Trainers in English) Members' Conference at the Primary Teachers' Training Institute in Dhaka.
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Hajjaj said the four fundamental language skills – listening, speaking, reading and writing – must be given equal importance.
"Greater emphasis should be placed on developing children's listening skills at the primary level. Whether someone wants to become a scientist, doctor or engineer, language proficiency is essential alongside expertise in their respective fields," he said.
Noting that much of the world's scientific and technological knowledge is available in English, Hajjaj said children should get opportunities to access and benefit from that global knowledge.
"Simply increasing the literacy rate is not enough to build an educated society. What we need is an education system that enables students not only to acquire knowledge but also to apply it and access relevant information from knowledge available around the world," he said.
Hajjaj also said textbook-based teaching alone was insufficient at the primary level.
Teachers should provide specific recommendations on how educational tools such as videos, workbooks, digital content, games and other modern learning materials could be used effectively in classrooms, he said.
He urged stakeholders to submit clear proposals identifying areas that need change, saying the government would discuss the recommendations and take initiatives to implement them.
