The government has made a 56-day basic training programme compulsory for newly appointed secondary-level teachers across Bangladesh. The directive was issued by the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE) in an office order on Wednesday, 25 February.
The order was signed by Professor B. M. Abdul Hannan, Director General (Additional Charge) of DSHE. It states that the training is required to help teachers handle modern classroom challenges and improve teaching quality.
The programme is being implemented under the “Learning Acceleration in Secondary Education (LASE)” project. The project runs from October 2023 to September 2028. It is funded with loan support from the World Bank.
According to the order, the training targets newly appointed teachers under the age of 40. It aims to help them learn modern teaching theories and methods through practical sessions. The course is being conducted at 14 government Teachers’ Training Colleges across the country.
The main goal of the project is to speed up student learning at the secondary level. It also seeks to reduce dropout rates and strengthen teachers’ professional skills. The initiative is linked to Sustainable Development Goal 4, which focuses on quality education.
The order notes that two regular batches and one pilot batch have already completed the training. However, DSHE observed that many heads of institutions are unwilling to release nominated teachers. Some teachers have also shown reluctance to attend the programme.
In response, the authorities said that all nominated secondary-level teachers must take part in the 56-day training, except in unavoidable circumstances. Field-level officials and heads of institutions have been asked to strictly follow the directive.
The DSHE expects full compliance as the next training batches are scheduled under the ongoing project period.