Education Minister Dipu Moni has clarified that religious education will be evaluated in the same manner as other subjects within the new curriculum.
This statement aims to dispel the misconception that there will be no examinations for religious education. The overarching objective of the new curriculum is to integrate education with real-life experiences, fostering a life-oriented educational approach that transcends traditional classroom boundaries.
Dipu Moni made this announcement during a discussion at the launch of the new curriculum student assessment application, "Naipunya," on Wednesday.
She also addressed the unfounded rumor that religious education has been marginalised in the new curriculum, emphasising that all subjects are accorded equal importance.
At the launch of the "Naipunya" curriculum assessment app, the minister shared the stage with ICT State Minister Zunaid Ahmed Palak, Education Deputy Minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Naufel, distinguished educationist Syed Manjurul Islam, Dhaka-17 lawmaker Mohammad A Arafat, and National Press Club President Farida Yasmin.
In response to a query from Dainikshiksha, the education minister explained that the "Naipunya" app has been developed to gather student evaluation data and store it. Furthermore, the app will automatically generate students' report cards.
"Naipunya" is designed to manage and store evaluation data according to the national curriculum for 6th and 7th-grade classes, starting from the academic year 2023, with technical support from A2I and the oversight of the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB).
During the event, NCTB highlighted that the app will also incorporate information about teachers. This will enable school administrators to select subject-specific teachers. User IDs and passwords for accessing the app will be sent to headteachers' mobile devices via SMS. Teachers can be added through the teacher management feature, and subject-specific instructors can be designated. Each teacher added will receive their user ID and password via SMS for accessing the app's dashboard. The app will encompass student learning assessments, summative evaluations, and facilitate proactive report card generation.
National Press Club President Farida Yasmin commended the comprehensive inclusion of all student subjects in the "Naipunya" app, heralding it as evidence of Bangladesh's journey towards a smart and technologically advanced educational landscape. This initiative aims to cultivate smart and responsible citizens from a young age, marking the start of transformative reforms in the education system that many had hoped for.
Academician Professor Dr Syed Manjurul Islam said there is a lot of misinformation about the new curriculum and added that the new curriculum would help the country to moving beyond rote learning.
The ceremony featured the presence of Senior Secretary of Technical and Madrasa Education Department Kamal Hossain, Secretary of the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education Farid Ahmed, cultural luminary Ramendra Majumder, distinguished journalist Subhash Singh Roy, NCTB Chairman Prof Md Farhadul Islam, and member professor Moshiuzzaman, along with Dhaka Education Board Chairman Prof Tapan Kumar Sarkar and Madrasa Education Board Chairman Prof Qaiser Ahmed, among others.
