Round-table Meeting on Barriers for Girls to Participate Technical Education

Ensure technical education for girls

Technical schools in the country are struggling to accommodate the surge of people queuing up for vocational training, said Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid.

The number of people who wanted vocational education in 2009 was below one lakh, but it rose to over eight lakh in just six years, the minister said at the round-table meeting on "Barriers for girls to participate Technical and Vocational Education" organized by UCEP Bangladesh and Prothom Alo.

"Thanks to continued promotional campaigns across the country, people's perception of technical education has seen a major shift in recent years. But we still have a long way to go", he stated.

The minister was addressing a round-table on increasing girls' enrollment in vocational education organised by the Bangla daily Prothom Alo with support from Underprivileged Children's Educational Programs (UCEP) Bangladesh at the daily's office in the capital.

Nahid mentioned that around two lakh girls were receiving vocational training at the moment, and said polytechnic institutes for girls have been established in four divisional cities. "More such institutes will be established", he added.

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Account BenefitExecutive Director of Campaign for Popular Education Rasheda K Choudhury said there was no alternative to increasing investment in girls' education and technical training. She said, 14 percent of the budget was allocated for education in 2000, but now only 11 percent is allocated.

Rasheda K Choudhury said automobile mechanics like those in the capital's Dholai Khal have acquired their skills without any formal training.

"We should provide them with institutional recognition so that their skills are valued around the world", she added.

President of Bangladesh Employers' Federation Tapan Chowdhury said universities, colleges and training institutes should consult industrialists and entrepreneurs of the country to learn about the nature of the future job market.

Chairman of Bangladesh Technical Education Board Md. Abdul Haque Talukdar, Executive Director of UCEP Bangladesh Zaki Hasan, and Chief Executive Officer of National Skills Development Council ABM Khorshed Alam spokes at the round-table among others.