Bangladesh needs more government spending on AI education for children: Former US congressman Jamaal Bowman

While Bangladesh is doing well in terms of many parameters, the country needs to step up its efforts to align education with the economic needs. "The kids need to be educated in artificial intelligence (AI) so that they are not replaced by the AI, but they can use the AI to advance," said Jamaal Bowman, former educator and US congressman, in an interview with The Business Standard during his recent Dhaka visit. 

Emphasising the engagement of the private sector, he said, "A stronger connection between the private sector and the school system here is needed. The private sector knows what kind of skills the students need to get good jobs in certain sectors. The private sector is also aware of the impact of AI and automation on certain jobs. And so they could communicate that as well."

He said the government needs more investment in technology (hardware, laptops, etc.) to do it. They need Wi-Fi access in the schools so that they can access the AI programmes. 

When asked about his recent visit, he said, "I wanted to visit schools, meet with young people and educators, and learn more about the education system here. As I'm involved in education in the US and many of the students I serve in the US are Bangladeshi students, so I just came here to observe and learn about Bangladesh's education system."

"We need to make sure the education system is not just providing a general education but training them to be ready to get good jobs and become entrepreneurs who will contribute to Bangladesh's economy and beyond," he further said.

The American politician who served from 2021 to 2025 as the United States representative for New York's 16th congressional district visited multiple primary schools, orphanage schools, and private universities in Bangladesh. 

While addressing the challenges of the education system, Jamaal said, "There's been a consistent lower spending on education from the government. For instance, the US spends about 4% of its GDP on education. In Bangladesh, it's only 1.87%. So, the spending isn't where it needs to be, which is the number one problem." 

"Number two, you know, there's been some instability in Bangladesh from a government perspective. That instability creates inconsistency. And when you have inconsistency, you're not going to have the curriculum that you need in the education system to prepare kids for the real world. So I think those things have happened — low spending, and also the instability with the government."

He suggests more spending, which means more books, including the modern ones for the kids. We have to make sure they have access to laptops and iPads, he said. 

"The curriculum needs to be as rigorous as possible with all of the support needed, but you also need to align the education with the economic needs of Bangladesh."

When asked what can be an alternate funding source after the shutdown of USAID programmes, he said, "There are many other NGOs that can provide funding to education around the world. USAID was just one source, but other sources could pick up the slack. The private sector can step in. From what I've known during a lot of meetings in the private sector here, some stakeholders are interested in funding education here."

"It's all about relationships and seeing who has an interest in being a part of this fast-growing economy. I mean, Bangladesh is the fastest-growing economy in South Asia, outpacing Pakistan and India. And so, if that continues as it should, then people are going to be interested in doing business and investing and engaging with the people of Bangladesh. There will be a new administration in the US in three years, and if that's the case, hopefully USAID will come back better and stronger."

However, Jamaal is going back with a good impression and hopes to come back again. "I'll definitely be back with more projects. What I experience is not surprising to me. I've worked with the Bangladeshi people in the community back there in New York City throughout my whole life. And they've always been brilliant; they've always been strong; they've always been hard working. So that's the same thing I see here among the young people, the professionals, and the business leaders. I've met with CEOs, bankers, philanthropists and students as young as, you know, 7-8 years old. And I see the magic and brilliance of the entire people across the board. And so it's not anything different from what I expected to see." 

"And so I look forward to coming back and being helpful in any way that I can. Not just with resources and money, but also with knowledge and ideas," added Jamaal. 

While talking about the state of women's education, he said, "Everywhere I went, the girls were the leaders. I learned about the problem that young girls are being forced to marry early because of poverty. That's obviously an issue that has to stop right away."

"And if the government increases spending on education, families might stop marrying off girls at an early age. That's exactly what should be done," concluded Jamaal.