Dhaka, Feb 10 (UNB) – Noted educationists suggest taking appropriate measures to teach English as a second language with native or qualified and fluent speakers to develop create human resources.

“English, as a second language should properly be taught by trained teachers as most of the country’s students can’t demonstrate their skills on language,” said Dr Mohammed Ataur Rahman, a senior professor of the International University of Business Agriculture and Technology-IUBAT.

Talking to UNB, he said the students who are the country’s young generation should be taught English properly as they will have to play a greater role both at home and aboard. “Steps need to be taken to change the education curricula that don’t help develop language skills among the students.”

He said many foreigners from the English-speaking countries visit Bangladesh and they could be engaged in language teaching during their stay here.

Mohammed Ataur Rahman, Mokbul Hossain and Anil Chandra Basak, who are the senior faculties of the IUBAT, presented a keynote paper at the International Conference titled Quality in Higher Education: ICQHE-2012 held at the IUBAT recently.

While making the presentation, they described higher education as a tertiary post-school education, having theoretical under-planning at a level which would qualify someone to work in a professional field.

They said higher education is taught in an environment which includes advanced research activity. Higher education in Bangladesh describes graduation; higher education degree level takes 3 to 4 years, typically 4 years, and post-graduation: Masters, M Phil and PhD.

About constraints to the country’s higher education, they said dropout in primary and secondary schools, lack of quality education facilities, financial inability to continue higher education, uncertainty in getting job, conservative mindset, especially when it comes to girl’s education, uncertain time period due to political problems, too many segregations in education system and overloading with study materials.

On rural and urban education, the experts said there are poor facilities in rural schools, religious problems, poor transportation, child labour and poorly-conducted extracurricular activities, apart from inadequate qualified and trained teachers.

The recommendations they made include students with strong base are extremely important for higher education, identical curricula for all, discouraging tuition, banning coaching centres and adopting conceptual and participatory education and examination systems.

They also emphasised practical exercises, broadcasting education and practical knowledge-based programmes by TVs, proper teachers’ traning and fair selection of teachers.

They further recommended that all the schools should have compute and multimedia facilities.