The duration of existing four-year honours courses under the National University would be reduced to three years and there would be one year for diploma courses on technical subjects, special assistant to the interim government Md Aminul Islam said on Sunday.
At a discussion held at the International Mother Language Institute in the capital Dhaka, he also said that two separate certificates would be given for the honours and diploma courses.
The initiative was taken to make students more skilled, which would help them getting jobs after their studies, he added.
The discussion titled 鈥楢rtificial intelligence and learning: the identity, protection and development of human beings and human capabilities in an age of mechanised automation鈥� was jointly organised by the Bangladesh National Commission for UNESCO and UNESCO Dhaka office to mark the International Day of Education 2025.
Addressing as a special guest, Aminul alleged that the parents always want their children to secure bachelor and masters courses only to be get married.
鈥楾here is a taboo or stigma in Bangladesh that studying diploma or technical courses is a bad thing,鈥� he said, adding 鈥榝or our country, technical education was very necessary but now it鈥檚 in the most backward situation.鈥�
Only 18 per cent of teachers is available for technical education and under this education there was also a lack of trainers for taking the students鈥� practical classes, he mentioned.
These students were only taught theories and based on that viva was taken, but they were never taught practical, the special assistant attached to education said adding that this education would be reformed entirely.
Adviser to the primary and mass education ministry Bidhan Ranjan Roy Podder said that in the rural areas, the government primary schools were still reeling with huge discriminations.
鈥榃e have to work together as a nation to eliminate all discriminations,鈥� he added while addressing the programme as a special guest.
Chairing the discussion, Secondary and Higher Education Division senior secretary Siddique Zobair said that the young generation had already accepted the artificial intelligence.
鈥榃e need to use technology, but at the same time we should be aware that the technology could not drive us,鈥� he added.
While presenting the keynote paper, University Grants Commission member Md Saidur Rahman said that it was essential to invent and control the artificial intelligence instead of only using it.
In this regard, putting emphasis on mathematics and science subjects at the primary and secondary levels of education is needed, he added.
Primary and mass education ministry secretary Abu Taher Md Masud Rann, Dhaka University鈥檚 computer science and engineering department chairman Md Abdur Razzaque and UNESCO Dhaka office head and country representative Susan Vize also attended the discussion.