The government is planning to introduce 12 "life-oriented" themes throughout the year in the new primary education curriculum to improve students' safety awareness, life skills and practical knowledge, said State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Bobby Hajjaj.He made the remarks as the chief guest at the Safeguarding Leadership Summit, jointly organised by Haileybury Bhaluka and Cambridge, at Le Méridien Dhaka today (16 September).
Bobby Hajjaj said work was underway to reform the primary curriculum, with a plan to focus on a different life-oriented theme each month.
The monthly themes would be integrated into lessons across subjects through relevant examples, numbers, questions and discussions, he said.
For example, if fire safety is selected as a monthly theme, mathematics, language and other subjects could include examples and discussions related to fire safety.
Similarly, road safety, water safety, health and hygiene, and disaster preparedness could be addressed through the curriculum at different points of the year, he said.
"The goal is not only for a primary student to gain knowledge from textbooks, but also to learn how to stay safe, act responsibly and handle different situations in real life," Bobby Hajjaj said.
The state minister also said the government was working on guidelines to ensure minimum safety and education standards across all types of primary-level educational institutions in the country.
Institutions that already maintain standards above the minimum would be encouraged to improve further, while the government would learn from their good practices to improve the overall quality of primary education, he said.
Bobby Hajjaj said the government wanted to work with educational institutions not only as a regulator but also as a partner.
The government would learn from institutions' experiences and successful initiatives while developing a common standard for primary education nationwide through government policy and support, he added.
FP/R
