Special Correspondent ; Dhaka — The Ministry of Education is drafting a transformative model aimed at aligning higher education directly with employment.
Under the newly proposed framework, traditional Honors courses in six subjects—including Bengali, History, and Philosophy—are slated for cancellation and integration into alternative programs to make way for a heavily technology-dependent and skill-based curriculum.
According to ministry sources, the primary shift involves expanding IT and technical disciplines. To build a highly capable and functional workforce, advanced competencies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cyber Security, outsourcing, and digital literacy will be embedded into the academic structure.
Furthermore, the government plans to introduce freelancing training at the college level, establish dedicated campus career centers, and implement training programs for seven foreign languages.
Shifting Away from Certificate-Based Degrees
Senior education officials confirmed that the proposed draft is currently undergoing extensive evaluation and will be finalized after incorporating stakeholder feedback. The restructuring follows clear directives from the Prime Minister to shift the nation away from purely “certificate-heavy” education to a practical, modern, and execution-oriented system.
“We aim to cultivate an education system where students don’t just acquire degrees, but transform into skilled and highly employable human assets,” stated Education Minister A N M Ehsanul Hoque Milan during recent public events.
The reform push comes amid growing concern from educationists that the current system fails to connect academic degrees to real-world employment. This disconnect has caused the unemployment rate among highly educated youth to surge eight-fold over the last 13 years, leaving nearly 85% of employment across the country reliant on the informal sector.
Streamlining SSC and HSC Public Exams
In tandem with higher education reforms, major adjustments are being planned for secondary and higher secondary levels. The National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) has drafted a working paper submitted to the Ministry of Education to drastically cut down the number of exam subjects and the total duration of secondary (SSC) and higher secondary (HSC) public examinations.
Currently, concluding SSC exams takes 25 to 30 working days, while HSC exams stretch across 30 to 35 days or more. Because academic institutions double as testing hubs, routine classes remain suspended for thousands of other students during these periods, severely draining essential learning hours. The government’s revision aims to eliminate these academic bottlenecks and ease the immense psychological pressure endured by examinees.
Looking Ahead: The 2028 National Curriculum
During a press briefing held at the Secretariat’s Secondary and Higher Education Division on Monday (June 8), Education Minister A N M Ehsanul Hoque Milan detailed the evolutionary timeline of the country’s academic curriculum.
“First, we are systematically revising and realistically modifying the existing curriculum to roll out a refined version in 2027,” the Education Minister explained. “The total systemic overhaul we are targeting is already underway, and you will see it fully implemented by 2028. The curriculum design is progressing exceptionally well, featuring four entirely new subjects.”
The upcoming 2028 curriculum changes include:
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Sports & Culture: Two distinct subjects to be taught starting from Class 4.
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Technical & Vocational Education: Introduced as a mandatory focus from Class 6.
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Learning with Happiness: A new behavioral and mental wellness subject starting from Class 6.
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Language Progression: Increased priority on a third language alongside Bengali and English, which may be integrated as extensive chapters within existing subjects.
Supporting these upcoming reforms, Mahdee Amin, the Prime Minister’s Advisor on Education, Primary, and Mass Education, acknowledged that fixing long-standing structural issues requires calculated, swift changes. “We cannot fix 16 years of accumulated challenges in a single year, but we possess absolute sincerity. We are driving immediate adjustments by pruning, expanding, and optimizing the core curriculum with these crucial new subjects.”
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ALT Text: Bangladesh Education Minister A N M Ehsanul Hoque Milan addressing media at a press conference regarding the 2028 skills-based curriculum.