Prime Minister’s Adviser on Finance and Planning Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir on Wednesday called for ensuring the quality of education rather than focusing merely on academic certificates, warning of a gap between students’ qualifications and actual learning.
“If a student passes Grade 12 but their academic standard remains at Grade 7, qualitative changes in the education system are imperative,” Titumir said.
He made the remarks at a reception, certificate and scholarship distribution ceremony organised by Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) for students who achieved outstanding results in the SSC, HSC and equivalent examinations.
He said meritorious students could play a pivotal role in driving such change.
Titumir said the gap between completing Grade 12 and possessing only a Grade 7 level of learning must be eliminated through systemic improvements in educational quality.
He added that high-achieving students could help bring about major social change by becoming conscious of the quality of their own education and encouraging others to do the same.
The adviser also urged students to pay greater attention to science, technology, engineering and mathematics, describing the declining trend in science, mathematics, engineering and technology-based education at the secondary and higher secondary levels as alarming.
“If mathematics is absent, physics will not work, and if physics does not work, no engineering discipline will function,” he said.
Titumir called for a strong foundation in basic education alongside technological excellence.
He said education should not be limited to earning certificates or preparing for employment, but should also develop citizenship, strengthen skills and create opportunities for new knowledge and innovation.
Highlighting the role of higher education institutions, Titumir said university teachers were responsible not only for disseminating existing knowledge but also for generating new knowledge through research.
He urged talented students to contribute to national transformation through research and innovative thinking.
Addressing the event, DRU President Abu Saleh Akon urged students to remain responsible towards their parents while pursuing success in life.
“When you grow up, the parents who stand beside you today should not end up in an old-age home,” he said.
Akon also called on parents to teach their children to love the country, saying strong academic results alone were not enough without a willingness to work for the nation.
He urged guardians to instil patriotism in their children so that talent developed in Bangladesh was not used abroad for the benefit of other countries.
ATN News journalist Mahmuda Mansura said journalist parents tried to help their children achieve their goals despite demanding professional schedules. She, however, stressed that raising children as good human beings was as important as ensuring good academic results.
Mansura advised students to respect their parents, listen to their guidance, fulfil their aspirations and learn from the lives of ideal and truth-loving people in society.
She also highlighted the need for parents to become more conscious about bridging gaps in family values.
Abdul Qayyum Chowdhury, chief business officer and additional managing director of South Bangla Agriculture and Commerce (SBAC) Bank, attended the ceremony along with DRU member journalists, parents and students.
Students who achieved outstanding results in the SSC, HSC and equivalent examinations were presented with receptions, certificates and scholarships at the event.
