Most teachers do not know what it is

More than half of the 100 primary school teachers, who took part in a survey, are still unclear about creative education method introduced five years ago to bring a qualitative change.

The surveyors interviewed the 100 teachers and 80 students of 21 schools in the country's 16 districts between April and November last year.

However, more than 1,000 students from class three to five were included in a written test for their opinions on the method.

Research for Advancement of Complete Education (RACE), a non-government research organisation, unveiled the findings of the report titled “Ambiguity in understanding among teachers and students render Creative Method ineffectiveness -- a study on primary school in Bangladesh,” at Drik Gallery in the capital yesterday.

According to the report, 13 percent of teachers do not have a complete understanding of creative method, while 42 percent of teachers' understanding level is medium.

However, 45 percent of teachers understand the method, it added.

At the same time, 47 percent teachers rely on guidebooks, 35 percent discuss the method with colleagues and 18 percent teachers teach their students with “their self-wisdom”, it said.

The report observed that teachers had not been trained on the creative method properly yet.

Of the students, 92 percent take the help of guidebooks to understand their lessons while only eight percent stay away from guidebooks, according to the findings.

“Sixty seven percent students take the help of private tutors to understand the method while 33 percent don't,” the report said.

Besides, 39 percent of students find English to be the most difficult subject, 33 percent consider mathematics to be the most difficult one.

However, 25 percent of them consider both English and mathematics to be the most difficult subjects to learn, while only three percent find Bangla difficult.

At the programme, noted columnist Syed Abul Maksud observed that the government could not provide the required support to teachers for making the creative method a success.

The quality of overall education system has been declining gradually due to a flawed system, he said, adding that only an increase in students' enrolment and pass rate cannot improve the situation.

Eminent economist Prof Anu Muhammad said the new method would not bear fruit until the government brings huge reforms in the education sector.

He said an evil practice is still widespread in the recruitment of teachers. He also blamed the government for turning education a profitable business for teachers and publishers in the name of guidebooks and notebooks.

RACE President Prof Sharif Uddin chaired the programme while Campaign for Popular Education Manager Mostafizur Rahaman, Manusher Jonno Foundation Coordinator Abdullah Al Mamun, among others, spoke at the programme.