International Mathematics Olympiad
Success contrasts with education scenario
While Bangladeshi students' performance in the International Mathematics Olympiad (IMO) is on the rise, the overall number of the country's students studying math and science unfortunately is declining.
In 2012, the country's youths displayed their talents at the international platform with one of them bagging silver medal in the 53rd IMO for the first time in the history of Bangladesh.
But when it comes to the overall scenario, the percentage of students opting for science education dropped to 22.35 percent in 2010 from 42.18 percent in 1990.
The reason behind Bangladeshi students' success in the IMO is, as pointed out by experts, their enthusiasm for solving very tricky and puzzling math problems fit for the worldwide math contest.
But students' interest in studying math and science is diminishing mainly due to the traditional board exams where they hardly find any scope to manifest creativity as a set of common problems appear in the exam years after years.
M Kaykobad, a professor at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet), said, “Our students are doing well in international contests on math and programming because we train them up for solving brain teasing problems. They solve those with interest and ultimately do well when they go abroad.
“But, unfortunately, the students do not find that interest in the traditional school exams where conception is not needed much for answering.”
“Our education system is not tuned to creativity," observed former Buet teacher Prof Ali Asgor. "Our school teachers put too much emphasis on sentence construction, spelling and symbols. But they do not inquire about whether any idea clicked the brain of a student. Moreover, the contents of our math and science textbooks are presented in such a way that students cannot correlate them with the natural phenomenon.”
He also urged media to play a positive role in this regard.
“Like the BBC, which makes especial programmes on science and nature, our TV channels may allot particular slots for math and science programmes so that students from every corner of the country see those with interest.”
Emphasising conception more than information, he said, “Conception is the most important thing for a student. A machine may be changed after 30 years. If he has the conception on the working principles of machines, he may invent a new machine with his knowledge. If he has simply information, he cannot do that.”
Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid told The Daily Star, “Our students are doing well in the international platform because they are not poor in merit.
“But lack of competent teachers, poor lab facilities, low budget allocation for education and some other problems are responsible for the decline in students' interest in math and science,” he added.
“However, in recent years, initiatives have been taken to stir students' interest in science and write science textbooks in more presentable way and training teachers.
“But the problem of students' receding enthusiasm in studying science is a global phenomenon, and Bangladesh is not an exception,” the minister said. “In the entire world, students are increasingly leaning towards business administration considering the job market.”
Note educationist and writer Prof Muhammad Zafar Iqbal said, “Before 2010, the school curriculum was updated only once, and that was in 1996. Though about 15,000 students are now participating in the math Olympiad, it is yet to create a substantial impact on the entire student community.”
He blamed scanty budgetary allocation for the decline in interest in science education.
A consultant in the science and technology ministry, Munir Hasan, said, “The problem can be located back in 1987 when General Ershad made religion compulsory for all students, turning higher math an optional one.”
“Therefore science students had the option to become teachers even without studying higher mathematics. Many of them completed their BSC degree without taking any math course,” he added.
Tanvir Arafat Dhrubo, a student of Buet, said, “Instead of solely depending on the government, we can take some initiatives of uploading study materials online that may arouse students' interest in science. We hope internet connection will be available in every corner of the country by 2018.
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