Dhaka, Nov 19 (UNB) - The Ministry of Science, Information and Communication Technology should immediately take campaign measures to popularize and promote science education as student enrollment pattern in science is falling dangerously in the country, according to an educationist.

“Students are presently going for humanities and business education. Our overall enrollment pattern is shifting. It’s very dangerous for Bangladesh,” said Prof. Dr. M Alimullah Miyan, founder and Vice Chancellor of the International University of Business, Agriculture and Technology (IUBAT).

In an interview with UNB on the sidelines of the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE 2011) in Doha, he said students’ science education tendency is seen going downward and it is gradually falling when enrollment pattern is analyzed from secondary to higher education. “The dwindling interest in science education is a big weakness of our education,” Dr. Miyan said, adding that there are many reasons behind this.

He said students are not being attracted towards science education and there is also lack of adequate facilities for science education in the country.

“Many schools don’t have well-equipped laboratories, so they don’t get permission to open science subjects. Besides, there is a big shortage of science teachers in the country.”

He suggested that well-equipped laboratories should be set up at least in the country’s pilot schools to strengthen science education. Dr. Miyan, also a former professor and director of the Institute Business Administration of Dhaka University, said the authorities could take help of technology and advantage of modern simulation internet without setting up traditional laboratory in the schools.

“Digital education can help to overcome the physical problems. We can simulate all experiments through technology and project video. You can see it; feel it. Now there is no need for students to memorize the facts or information and they are needed to learn how to create new things.

He said: “We’ve to increase creativity, social interactions and skills as facts can be easily acquired. So we’ve to go towards the system of learning from teaching. ”Both teachers and students would have information and they should need to learn how to do some something with such information… Paradigm of teaching and learning is now being shifted and we’ve to see it,” he added.

Dr Miyan, also a pioneer in establishing private university in Bangladesh, mentioned that higher education at all university colleges under the National University is in very bad situation, as many of them have neither qualified teachers nor proper infrastructural facilities.

He said students are merely obtaining degrees in large numbers in Honors and Masters from the National University which is apparently working as an education board, not providing quality education.

“It’s essential to take bold decision to immediately assess education at all colleges and university colleges under National University,” he said, adding that under two approaches - closures or intensification- higher education would be have to be either closed or strengthened wherever the institutions would be found in shortage of teachers and infrastructural facilities.

Dr. Miyan also said system of collegiate, non-collegiate and tutorial could be introduced in these college-universities in line with re-enforcing of continuous monitoring in a bid to improve education. He suggested introducing the disciplines of science and technology and other more market-oriented subjects in the university colleges to keep pace with the global demand.

The IUBAT Vice Chancellor emphasized on huge investment and budgetary allocation on education, particularly on science education, to redesign the country’s education system after coming out from stereotype methods. “Education is a research-oriented matter and needs continuous attention for development,” he said.