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Competency Based Education for Ensuring Sustainable Development

by with One Comment English Blog

The world presented us with new opportunities and challenges which requires a different approach to education. In this fast-changing world, it has become necessity for children to acquire the knowledge, skills, values, attitudes and take action to adapt and to thrive. There is a need for a change in the Education Systems which needs to prepare them for living and working in a global society. In this change circumstances, the big issues affecting our planet is the climate change and global poverty. To face the challenges we require an innovative generation that knows how to find solutions. Therefore Competency Based Education has been has been brought in to practices. To ensure Sustainable Development of the country we need to ensure proper education to the young generation of Bangladesh. Bangladesh is considered as the most potential country of Asia as major part of its population are young generation which means they are in the level of productive workforce of the country. If we can train them to become skilled workforce, then it will have major impact to the national economy.

One of the key reasons for economic progress of develop countries are the skilled human resources and the development was possible for the education systems which ensures the young generation not only have the required knowledge, skills, attitude and values to work in the industry but also develops them as responsible global citizens through creating sense of responsibilities on social cultural and environment issues. Competencies include explicit, measurable, transferable learning objectives that empower students. CBE place a heavy emphasis on what a person can do in the workplace after the completion of the training program. One of the primary advantages of CBE is that, the focus is on the success of each participant. It gives individuals opportunities to “achieve qualifications that relate to required performance in the workplace”. CBET is very positively regarded by employers, job seekers, management and learners in many countries like the Australian enterprises and it strongly supports the development of job-specific skills. Enterprises are also very positive about the increased level of on-the-job learning.




In Bangladesh the Education systems has not yet been changed in the last few years to ensure sustainable development. Though there are some opportunities to learn and practice CBE, but it has not been promoted as we expected. Therefore, a large no of students remain unemployed or fail to get desired job after graduation. They fail to serve the industry based on its requirement. But recently the trend has changed. The Higher Education Institutions are very much serious on its student’s employability and they have started to change the teaching and learning approaches in the institutions. Besides, they are now very much concerned to develop responsible global citizen which has taken into account considering the Global perspective. Here, students, educators, employers, and policymakers alike are beginning to embrace competency-based education models that have the potential to transform standards of higher education, keeping students competitive in the global workforce. It focuses sharply on what students know and can do—are on the rise. These programs do not assume that successful completion of a series of courses results in the achievement of learning outcomes; rather, they confirm student learning through individual assessment. Probable Obstacles/Challenges in Implementing CBE in Bangladesh: There are a number of challenges hindering the effective implementation of CBE in Bangladesh such as

  • Lack of awareness in CBE systems
  • Lack of attitude to adopt the new learning & teaching systems
  • Very few certified CBE trainers in Bangladesh though ILO is working in this sector
  • Lack of Fund to change the existing Teaching & Learning systems

The higher education has changed remarkable in this decade and if we have to adopt the changes to ensure sustainable development. The adoption of Competency Based Education and Knowledge on Environment factors has become essential to develop Global Responsible Citizens. Bangladesh shouldn’t lag behind here. Time has come to shift to a new Higher Education Systems which will ensure Knowledge, Skills, Attitude, Values and Action among the young generation who will lead the country.

 

Author

Kabul Mohammad Hasan, Executive Director, BSDI

Email: [email protected]

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Does Skill Matter in Job Market?

by with One Comment English Blog

Our Desire

Everyone is looking for job. The fresh graduates are looking for a job, and the person who is even working, he also wants to get a better job. That is the norms of the world I guess. In the process of finding a better job, some of us get it and some people will wait for a job.

Among all of us, we will find a category, who will be successful in getting their desired job. We call them lucky! We all may agree on the point that no one will give us a job as a gift! We have to achieve it or we have to prove that somehow I am the competent person among all and deserve the job. However, it is a tough place and success comes to the person who truly gives their best to prove them. There is a simple but open trick to get the success too.

That is, if we can match our knowledge, skills, experience, relationship and behavior with employer’s problems and fulfill expectations, then we will get into the spotlight. Are you thinking it is hard? Not at all. We just need to take careful steps ahead.

Our Belief

As human being, we always like to be proficient in our respective fields. To get success in our career we need to have different skills associated with our career and we have to go through the learning process to prove our excellence and ensure the care growth. If we stop learning new skills, it will automatically leave our position behind or someone else may take away our position. So in developing a successful career we need to remember it.

Learning something new is sometimes difficult too, especially at the beginning of the career when we start to learn. We make mistakes over and over again. In some cases, we leave the learning effort for the fear of making mistakes. But the reality is that the only way to learn something new is:

  • to practice relentlessly,
  • to make mistakes over and over again, and
  • to be committed not to repeat the same mistakes again.

Canadian journalist, author Malcolm Gladwell, in his famous book Outliers, says that “ten thousand (10,000) hours of practice is required to be an expert in any one field.” on the other hand, Going a step further, author Josh Kaufman, in his book The Personal MBA, mentions that it takes about 20 hours of practice to get from “I can’t do anything to I can do one thing” – which is 45 minutes a day of regular practice.

So no matter what you want to be “fairly good” or “expert” in a subject, you need to practice. Various studies say that practice is also extremely difficult for those who have already acquired high skills in one subject and want to acquire skills in another new subject. And this is probably why many of the veterans are a little reluctant to acquire any new skills. They think that reading a book and discussion on a specific topic is enough to become competent in any skills. Our education system is the example of it.

Students are awarded degrees based on how well they can memorize. But at the present time it is universally acknowledged that skill is never possible by only reading and discussing. It requires learning by doing and practicing it over and over again. So skill development is very crucial.

Let me clear the facts with some Case studies:

Case#1:

I started my career in the Corporate Cell of a reputed organization. For the nature of my job, I had to keep communication with National & International organizations. I had to submit Project proposals. So many times, I had to submit the proposal in Bangladesh and which was a difficult job for me, as I didn’t know the Bengali typing. Therefore I had to depend on others. I used to take the help from one of my colleagues. First time he was enthusiastic. But when I started to send proposal then his facial expressions directly indicated me that he is not at all enjoying typing my tasks.

So I decided to learn it. I made my mind to learn Bengali typing. Firstly it took around 12 hours to type a single page. I didn’t leave the battle. I started doing it with more enthusiasm and I can proudly say I have the fastest typing skill in Bangla now.

Case#2:

As I am leading few organizations, I remain always engaged in Marketing and Promotional tasks. Sometimes, I have to depend on Graphic Designer, and sometimes, I depend on Video Editor. Yes, I get great cooperation, no doubt, but sometimes, we face such situation, where the production of promotional materials becomes very urgent. Neither I can rush to them, nor give support here. Because those are technical skills and we need to learn it. I have some experience here too.

Many years ago, for an urgent design task I worked with an official designer for long hours. I gave him all idea, contents and he also designed it as per requirements. I found a huge thrust while I found the output of the design materials. A small spelling mistake completely changed the idea of the event. I was trying to find how it happened? My findings were that, as the graphic designer type the content in the adobe illustrator so spelling mistake become the common problem in them.

From this incident, I took a decision to learn Graphics Design. I bought a book from New Market and started my designing effort. I could blame a person or a situation, but I felt, this is also an essential skills and learned it through rigorous practice. It is helping me to save my time and giving highest satisfaction too.

Case#3:

Similarly, we need to make video documentary on various topic. We collect the footage and we have a very skilled editing team who helps us to get the professional video documentary. It’s a very busy department and the members always remain busy in making video. So getting any essential output urgently sometimes become very much impossible for us. I thought why not I learn the same to support the urgent assignment. It’s not a rocket science that I will not be able to learn.

As I said, I started to learn it. I find out tutorial and I started editing the video. You may have seen my Video Documentary and all of them are done by me. I can work like a professional Video Editor now. How I did it? I had the patience to learn it and as soon as I learned it, I practiced it. I wanted to learn it from my heart, I utilized my time, resources, I had the interest and I succeeded here. It means we always have to have the patience for learning, learning can never ensure you that you will be the best here. Practicing is also important here. Practice makes you perfect. I applied this theory in my profession.



Our Mindset

Usually we all are born with a quality. We have the power to quickly grasp a clear idea of a subject by reading it with our minds and talking to friends. But in order to be proficient in any one subject, we must apply the knowledge we have acquired in real life. In fact, knowledge and skills are never the same thing. After gaining knowledge on a subject, you have to practice it hand-in-hand over and over again, then we can apply the skills. Also, you need to know the feedback from your friend or experienced person who have a progressive mind or advanced mind. It really helps to convert ‘no’ to ‘yes’.

Learning something new means you are initially thinking yourself inexperienced. You have the mindset of making mistakes through application, correcting opinions, and trying again and again to make yourself perfect. Undoubtedly it is now always easy to follow so many steps. Even though we know that the skills you want to add to your career are invaluable, we stop trying when we think of 20 to 10,000 hours of practice and go back to our old habits. We all know the importance of practice but the question is how can we make it possible?

Let me give you some suggestions:

  • Fix your target:

    What do you want to achieve? Or what do you want to add or modify? That should be clear first. For example, now a day’s employers want presentation skills from every job seeker. If you have doubt on your own presentation skills or if you want to have more perfection, then only you can sketch the plan for learning and practicing. Otherwise you will be floating in the middle of the ocean like a boat without engine.

  • Constantly challenge yourself:

    learning something new and gaining skills means working hard, accepting it and moving forward, and being honest with yourself about how difficult it will be to learn, especially when you are in a leadership role (by the way leading college or university club also means you are and you scope to sharpen your leadership traits).

  • Realize your limitations:

    Even if we want, we can’t be perfect at everything. That is the reality. So we have to make ourselves proficient by practicing the subject again and again until we become confident that we have mastered well.

  • Careful about time:

    We have to be committed to practice every day. Many people block time on the calendar or use many other methods which means to be committed to oneself and time. Remember this is a project and we are working as its head.

  • There is nothing wrong with having someone with you:

    Working with classmates or co-workers to hold each other accountable for practice gives good results quickly.

  • Minimize Disruption:

    We need to care about different sources of disturbance. For an example, we use social media platforms. Sometimes we devote ourselves in using it ignoring our important task during office times. We have to be careful about it.

Conclusion:

Lastly, my favorite tagline is “Practice makes Everything Possible (অনুশীলনে সবই সম্ভব)”. Just three words but has huge depth. In fact, it is a matter of faith. Whatever and however critical situation we face ahead, everything is possible in perfect practice. And in words, there is a long way to go in arguing about the object of faith. From today onwards, let us believe again that even if it is difficult or uncomfortable, it is true. ”In practice, everything is possible.

I want to conclude this write-up with a question “What new skills are you thinking of practicing now?”

 

Author

K M Hasan Ripon, Executive Director, BSDI

Email: [email protected]

AHA Blog3

Women unseen jobs!

by with No Comment English Blog

This special category unseen jobs are regular in kind but which we neither find in the job board or neither there are some HR rules advised to follow. But the performer gives highest attention and dedication to perform it without expecting any reward or evaluation. There is no specific time schedule to perform this Unseen Job and the performer does it with highest motivation any time anywhere, or wherever needed. Here the performer is a mystery and the only demand that the performer may have is the recognition or little expression of “good job” from the other part. The mysterious character here is someone around us as daughter, mother, mother in laws or aunty or anyone. 8th march is dedicated to expressing gratitude to them. Yes I am not feminist but for the back two years I was planning to write this. Because I was feeling that Women are fighters! They have the super power of leading life.

I have seen the tireless effort of many women around me to fight for giving comfort to their family ignoring the self-part. I have seen my Mom, even though feeling sickness or having weakness never said no to any demand. Her dedication always remains to make us feel happy. I have seen my aunty, after coming back home attending a long hour office, she directly enters the kitchen with new enthusiasm and happily cooks for the family, checking the kids diary for school work. She never brings any excuse to ignore the kitchen part any day. Rather she feels happy seeing happiness in the family member’s face. A working woman is giving double effort in her life to keep balance between job life and personal life. Without any rules the family maintenance part is assigned to her. So, her performance in the job results from her extreme dedication towards her workplace, But do we really feel the load of unseen jobs? Do we really feel to count those special Unseen Jobs?

Let’s make those unseen jobs recognized from heart of every soul in this planet

Salute to all fighters on this very special Day!

 

Blog Author

Amena Hasan Ana, Sr. Assistant Director, Daffodil International University



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She introduced new Bangladesh Globally

by English Blog

When I think to write on a person whom I like much, then it takes time. I find I have limited word stock or somehow my write-up doesn’t touch me. I am going through the same situation since yesterday.

I never had the opportunity to meet her personally whom I am writing about. I just have the opportunity to observe her from far. To many of us, she is a very dynamic leader. But whoever had the scope to meet her personally they have explained her personal qualities in many ways. Some of them termed her as women with a pleasant personality who always remain as the main source of inspiration/joy in a family. Some called her a very simple and lovely/caring mother who yet care about the importance of love and friendliness attitude with her child despite of her busy schedule. To some peoples, she is the last human being who can stand beside them at their well and woe. She is the one to whom we can express and explain! Yes, she is our Honorable Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina! A great personality who is helping us to dream and achieve.

Today is a very special day for her. It’s her 73rd Birthday. In this day can we make a decision to do National Branding first? It is maybe confusing the reader’s thinking about the relation between the subject and the object.

Let’s make it clear. We usually try to do good in our special days. Our Honorable Prime Minister has reached to a level when her Birthday is not just her own special day to celebrate with family. I believe it is the joy of the entire Bangladesh to celebrate the day and we can start a good practice from here.

While teaching our kids we usually introduce the Global Leaders. We talk about them, bring their leadership qualities to our kids and our kids starts to know them, follow them. But we never think in Bangladesh we have got several examples of leadership whom we should highlight to our kids and do national branding. Our honorable Prime Minister has now reached such status whom we should highlight to our kids and future leaders. We may have a different ideology and political values, but as a leader and personality our Honorable Prime Minister is distinct from others and she achieved the love through her works and personality.

She is a visionary leader, very forward-thinking in nature. 12 years back she presented “Din Bodoler Shonod” and recently she drafted a development plan and helped us to see a Bangladesh after 100 years. This is very unique feature from where we can learn.

I personally like her boldness in taking any action. We talk about determination and our honorable PM can be the best example here. I have never seen to lose her determination when she decides to take any initiative or action.

Also timely action is another mentionable traits found in our Honorable Prime Minister. I can yet remember, Digital Bangladesh was not so easy to dream to take forward. 12 years ago which was just like a nightmare to many of us, now it is the reality. Her timely action took it forward. We can easily say, it was the right drive given by Bangladesh!

We heard a lot that a true leader creates a new leader. In Bangladesh perspective, the young generation has been found very reluctant to know the politics. But with the personal qualities, our Honorable PM has won the heart of the Young section of the population. Accordingly, she brought the young generation in Government, empowered the youth, placed the women in important leadership roles. She made a combination of Young and Experienced leaders in her Cabinet which is a very rare quality in Bangladesh.

Emotional Intelligent: A leader must have the emotional intelligence to keep unity and motivate the general people. I believe our Honorable PM is the single person who has achieved the heart of millions through her personal qualities. Her down to earth mentality touched many hearts. From kids to the youth population, from general peoples to intellectual population, everyone likes her, can share with her or embrace her with deep love and respect. She could achieve this from her attitude and nature.

At this age and despite her busy schedule, she manages time to learn and accept the change also.  She expressed it freely that she learns from her son and it is one of the biggest support for us all.

Her charismatic leadership traits have been praised highly in all sector of human development. Her popularity has exceeded the national boundary. Now I don’t need to explain “what/where is Bangladesh”, while I travel abroad, I don’t face the unwanted question in the immigration, whereas it was the most asked question in other countries.

We all are witnessing a progressive Bangladesh. Bangladesh is now in a height which truly makes many of us emotional. Digital Bangladesh is an example for many countries. While we have so many reasons to become proud of, then we shouldn’t promote the leaders who led the journey ahead? If we do not promote us then who will do then?

Bangladesh is now facing the challenges of Industry 4IR and we need such a leader who will guide us take us forward. Who is bold when we need to be bold, strong when the situation requires, emotional when peoples need her supports.

So, during her Birthday time, I took a decision to tell our young generation about the leaders of the country. We take a decision to promote our leaders since we have many examples. Let’s do our National Branding first if we can’t promote ourselves, who will do then? It’s a “me” world and together we can promote “we”

So a Big Salute to our Honorable Prime Minister for your effort in our development.

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Developing Responsible Global Citizen

by English Blog

Now a days, “Think global” has become a very famous slogan which indicates an education system to develop Global Citizenship. It is evident that we are experiencing significant and substantial global challenges which have brought opportunities before us. Accordingly, we need to prepare our young generation to grasp the chances. Therefore, the development of Curriculum of Excellence has become very much essential.

 

On the other hand, to ensure sustainable development means to accept responsibility for the well-being of future generations. In the developed countries it has become an important agenda in all aspects of Education Systems. In developing and least-developed countries the socioeconomic challenges are enormous. This fact helps us to realize the need to strengthen the institutions for sustainable human development in these countries.

 

The develop countries are giving effort to develop global citizenship for recognizing our responsibilities towards each other and the wider world. As a result young people would be able to take up their place in the world, contribute to it confidently, successfully and effectively, understanding the rights and responsibilities of living and working in a globalized world. Their learning is focused on the following factors:

 

  • learning through global contexts
  • learning on a globalized world
  • learning for life and work in a global society

 

The Education Systems equips them with skills, knowledge, values and attitudes required to understand and address complex global issues which often transcend individual disciplines. The knowledge on Sustainable Development issues enabling children and young people to appreciate the interdependence of people and the environment and motivating them to live sustainably. Also encourage them contributing to a fair and equitable society that is living within the environmental limits of our planet, both now and in the future

 

On the other hand, the education systems of developing countries are not yet focused to develop the global citizens. Some institutions are taking initiative to develop the curriculum and taking steps to make positive changes in course curricula.

 

At this stage we need to focus on three issues to bring a change in Higher Education Systems:

  • To set the Vision of our higher Education Systems
  • To identify and communicate good practice in Higher Education Institution
  • To look at areas where policy solutions may be needed ensure sustainable development through to support higher education.

 

In Bangladesh The concept of “sustainable development’ is not entirely new but the challenge it poses to society and particularly to the education system. Some of the education institutes really teach us sustainable development issues and ensures its practices but its promotion and practices are not focused. Therefore, rest of the institutions remains unaware of such global issues.

But if we really want to achieve sustainable development, all stake-holders in society must actively engage and accept their share of responsibility. Educators will play a significant role in raising awareness for sustainable development across borders and cultures and ensure education for sustainable development. Our overall goal should be to-

 

  • Environmental integrity
  • Economic viability and
  • Society for present and future generations