The British Council organised an orientation to Connecting Classrooms programme for government education officers who play an increasingly important role in executing education policies in Bangladesh on 29 April 2017. It aimed to familiarise them with the Connecting Classrooms programme which has been implementing in Bangladesh since 2009, focusing on building global awareness, 21st century skills and cross-cultural learning amongst young people through bringing intentional dimension to learning. More than 180 participants, including 90 education officers from district and sub-district (Upazila) level where the programme is going to be implemented in 2017-18, key stakeholders from education ministry, trainers and delivery partners gathered for the orientation to work towards the effective implementation of Connecting Classrooms programme in Bangladesh. It provided a forum for them to discuss and identify ways of working together to ensure a high quality education for young people of Bangladesh.
Honourable Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid MP was present at the orientation programme as the chief guest, along with Professor Dr S M Wahiduzzaman, Director General, Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education and Barbara Wickham, Director, British Council.
Speaking at the ceremony, Barbara Wickham said, “We need a massive paradigm shift in education in order to prepare children for the changing world. We have to make sure that all required skills have a place in our schools and teachers are well trained to integrate those skills into their teaching practice, and evaluate the development of students”.
Nurul Islam Nahid MP said, “It is time for collaborative work. I believe Ministry of Education and the British Council jointly can make a significant impact on our education and help us to reach our education goal.”
In reflection, all the key stakeholders have emphasised developing a wide range of skills of students and multiple learning opportunities, both inside and out of school to prepare them for the changing social, technological, and economic demands. They have also agreed to support the British Council to ensure better impact and scalability of Connecting Classrooms programme in Bangladesh.