Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has said the country has allocated the highest-ever amount for the education sector in the national budget this year. He also said the government plans to gradually increase the allocation over the next five years.

He made the remarks at a programme organised to mark World Teachers’ Day at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the capital on Monday (October 5).

The prime minister said the government is working to build an education system in which no child is deprived of education. Students will also receive textbooks based on the new curriculum this year, he said.

He stressed the importance of technical and practical knowledge in the current era and said teaching methods need to change accordingly. The government does not want to view technology as a substitute for teachers, but rather as a tool to support them.

As part of this approach, initiatives have been taken to expand multimedia classrooms at educational institutions and increase access to free Wi-Fi facilities.

Tarique Rahman said students would receive textbooks according to the new curriculum. To prevent students from becoming disinterested in books, he emphasised the need for enjoyable and student-friendly learning methods.

The prime minister also stressed the need to modernise teachers’ training colleges to meet the challenges of the changing times.

“Teaching cannot be a profession chosen as an alternative when there is no other option,” he said, adding that teacher recruitment would be designed to encourage talented people to consider teaching as their first-choice profession. He also pledged to ensure financial security for teachers.