4. For a cooperation and interaction program with industrial world may achieve the expected
objectives, the vocational education should firstly internally consolidate in which an
institution building should be conducted, that is, by looking at what potential academic strengths
it owns to develop, what weaknesses to solve, and what opportunities to utilize optimally.
[1] Mulyasa, E. Competence-Based Curriculum. Bandung:
Rosdakarya, 2002. [2]
Sitompul, C and Wibisono, Y.Y.: The Competences of Unpar’s Industrial Engineering Graduates. A Paper in the
Proceeding of A National Seminar on Technology Higher Education, Bandung: 2003, pages 142-143.
[3] Spencer, L.M. and Spencer, S.M. Competence at Work:
Models for Superior Performance of United States: John Wiley Sons, 1993 pages 9-10.
[4] Tola, Burhanudin. Competence-Based Assessment. A
Paper in the Proceedings of A National Seminar on Natural Sciences Education. Bandung: HISPIAI, 2003
pages 27-29.
[5] Law of Republic of Indonesia, No. 5 Year 1984 on
Industrial Affairs, Gazette of Republic of Indonesia Year 1984 NO. 22. Jakarta: Department of Industrial Affairs.
106
TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS IN BANGLADESH AIMING HUMAN RESOURCE
DEVELOPMENT
Mahmud Al Haq Patwary
Lecturer Course Coordinator, Department of Education, DarulIhsan University, Bangladesh and International Student for Masters program, UniversitasNegeri Yogyakarta UNY, Indonesia
emon_ierduyahoo.com
Abstract
This paper aimed at Technical and Vocational Education of Bangladesh, and changing situation towards human recourse development and finding out the new ideas, achievements, and hindrances. Necessary data and
information were collected directly from the Bangladesh Technical Education Board. The study revealed that, in creating professional labor force Technical and Vocational Education and Training in Bangladesh suffers from
two types of problems; 1. Economical and infrastructural and 2.Social and methodological.
Keywords: human
resource development
by technical
and vocational
education in
Bangladesh.
1. Introduction
Human needs and human population are increasing like nuclear fission reaction. The world
economy has undergone sweeping changes in the time of a generation. The changes reflect the
increased globalization of economic activities, growing competition among nations for markets
and the widespread impact of the information and communications revolution. Higher productivity
and economic growth are increasingly dependent on the application of knowledge and information to
production of goods and services, and such knowledge is increasingly science based,as in [6].
Consequences of this scenario demands specialists in specific fields. Education is the basic need for
socio-economic transformation and development of a nation, as in [5]. Conquer and survival of a nation
only depends on education. It’s a fundamental force and it can reform a nation strongly. Human
resource development is one of the essential conditions for all kinds of growth for instance
social, cultural, political, or economic, et cetera. Education is the prime constituent of human
resource development. Education plays the most important role for creating trained workforce for
technology and applies them in new situation. An appropriate and dynamic education system is one of
the main components of all aspect of national development, as in [9].
For national reconstruction of Bangladesh, it requires the maximum utilization of its human
resources. Reference [1] holds the view that Bangladesh has enough physical resources and
human. The only need is educate and train its vast population to turn it into manpower and if it is
done, the people of this country would be able to improve their standard of living and be prosperous
with the proper utilization of these physical resources. References [10], [11], [13] all suggest
that Bangladesh urgently needs to utilize its over‐crowded population and large labor market.
To improve the quality of employees, Bangladesh’s people
need to
be trained
in modern
professional‐based and job oriented technical, technological and vocational programs.
By hearing the term ‘Technical Education’ the scenario emerges on general people is some
complicated modern machines with some operating persons and trainees. But technical education is not
exactly like that. Technical education is an age-old education. In the ancient period, this form of
education was informal. But technically they were not far behind us. Technologies used in human
civilization from metamorphic age to ultra-modern age. The technology used by ancient civilization
has led us to this ultra-modern age where we can do almost everything without much labor.
Sad but truth is, in Bangladesh, a developing country, this form of education did not get proper
importance, though it has the ability to give a boost up in the national economy. For a dynamic
Technical and Vocational education system which can efficiently develop professional labor force,
development, revision and reformulation are closely needed, whose can be achieved by programs and
projects focusing those factors. Though ignored much, Bangladesh launched some programs and
projects concerning this sector. The main concern of this literature is to give a brief description of
Technical and Vocational Education of Bangladesh which is based on several programs and projects,
reviewing the changing situation towards human recourse development and finding out the new
ideas, achievements, hindrances and ways to overcome those obstacles towards effectively
107
develop human resources. This study may show a new way for the further renewal and modification
of these programs and projects and probably will be helpful for under develop and developing countries
who are seeking for innovation.
2. Technical and Vocational Education in
Bangladesh Vocational
and technical
education in
Bangladesh is running on three tiers, as in [4],while comprises following programs:
1. Secondary
School Certificate
VocationalSSCvoc.; 2.
Higher Secondary Certificate Business ManagementHSCBM;
3. Basic Trades BT 360 Hours;
However, before starting of SSC voc. program, there were trade level training courses in
Vocational Training Institutes VTI and Technical Training Centers TTC and mobile trade courses
under Textile Vocational Institutes TVI e.g. National Skill Standard-II NSS-II, NSS-III.
Bangladesh Technical Education Board BTEB has conducted a series of studies involving internal
and overseas job markets for skilled manpower and their training. Finding of these report have been
created a sound base that contributed in making policy
decision for
introducing vocational
education at the secondary level of education. Study of
Job Market
for Vocational
Training InstituteVTI graduate was conducted. Total
numbers of skilled workers were 1, 36,706. The major findings were-
• Only 0.4 received standard training and
0.8 received some form of non-standard training which means 98.8 workers
occupying skilled jobs did not receive any form of training.
• Distribution of employment pattern: -
Professional-5.2, Technicians- 1.8, and Skilled Man-power-73 98.8
untrained.
Workers employed in these skilled jobs without training contributes largely to low
productivity and poor quality of products and services. Skilled workers are classified asNSS-
Master-1.4, NSS-I-8.2, NSS-II-53, NSS-III- 27.4, and Basic-10, as in [2]. This shows most
of the skilled worker towards lower skill side. All the programs and projects of Technical and
Vocational Education of Bangladesh follow an integrated
approach to
Human Resource
Development, as shown in Fig 1. Figure 1.
Integrated Approach to Human Resource Development in Bangladesh, as in [12].
2.1 Secondary School Certificate Vocational
The SSC voc. students are required to attend 1440 periods of instructions and 8-week industrial
attachment. Brief course structure is given in table 1.
Table 1. Course Structure of SSC voc., as in [3].
Class Genera
l Subject
Period Trade
Subjec t
Period Tota
l Industrial
Attachmen t
CLASS - IX
576 864
1440 8 Week
CLASS -X
684 756
1440 8 Week
There are two board final examinations, one in Class-IX and other in Class–X. Student assessment
is done on the basis of board final examination and continuous assessment. However, course content of
most of the general subjects and concerned text books are adopted from National Curriculum and
Textbook Board, Bangladesh NCTB without sacrificing the special characteristics of SSC voc.
curriculum, special examination system, special certification system {Three certificates, NSS-I,
NSS-II and SSC voc.} and assessment procedure.
2.2 Higher Secondary Certificate Business
Management This project later become program took place
in tune with practical needs of the individuals and society at large. From 1995-96 separate stream of
business education at Higher Secondary level named as HSC BM introduced under BTEB to
meet the new roles and challenges of office management
support services
of different
government, non – government, semi-government and private business organizations and industries.
The program consists of five courses- Accounting, Banking, Computer Operation, Secretarial Science
and Entrepreneurship. Under five-year project starting from year 2000, in some selected colleges
this curriculum was introduced in first case. Requisite
furniture, computers,
and typing
machines were supplied in each college form the project. Even physical facilities also constructed in
some institution. Since the inception of HSC BM curriculum, it has been popular to the students and
as well as to the guardians. The number of
108
