Live Correspondent: The three-day ‘6th International Conference on Equity and Inclusion in Education’ was concluded at Bishwo Shahitto Kendro in the capital on Saturday. The Asian Centre for Inclusive Education (ACIE) Bangladesh organizes the program through a hybrid approach (Zoom and in-person) from 19-21 May.

Co-hosts of the conference are Pune University India, Green University Bangladesh, Independent University Bangladesh, UNESCO Dhaka, CBM Global, Plan International Bangladesh, Room to Read Bangladesh, and SESAME Workshop Bangladesh.

The chair of the conference was Prof Dr. Umesh Sharma, Monas University, Australia. Education Minister Dr. Dipu Moni was present as the Chief Guest and State Minister for Education Mahibul Hasan Chowdhury was present as Special Guest at the closing ceremony on Saturday.

Beatrice Kaldun, Head of the office and UNESCO representative to Bangladesh and Prof Md Mashiuzzaman, Chairman of the National Curriculum and Textbook Board as the Guest of Honor.

In her concluding remarks, Dipu Moni said that the education system of Bangladesh is being managed in the right direction by tackling the Covid-19 disaster. In order to make the education system sustainable in the changing global situation, proper planning, as well as curriculum, needs to be up-to-date. The Bangladesh government has already revised the new curriculum.

She hopes that the education system of Bangladesh would move forward with proper preparation to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

Mahibul Hasan Chowdhury emphasized the importance of technical education for children with disabilities. He said that initiatives have been taken to include the technical education system in the mainstream education system in Bangladesh. As a result, the education system of Bangladesh will be transformed into a productive education system.

Vice-Chancellor of Dhaka University Prof Dr. Md Akhtaruzzaman was present as the chief guest at the opening ceremony.

Former Vice-Chancellor of the Noakhali University of Technology and Science Prof Dr. M Wahiduzzaman and the Director of Education and Research Institute, Dhaka University Prof. Abdul Halim was present as the special guest in the opening session.

Speaking as the chief guest, Akhtaruzzaman said that the education system of Bangladesh, like the rest of the world, came nearly to a standstill situation during the Covid-19 period. The Government of Bangladesh has continued its online and offline learning activities by taking appropriate initiatives to ensure that educational activities are not disrupted during these disasters and have also provided incentives to students through subsidies at primary, secondary, and university levels. He hoped that in the future other universities including Dhaka University would play a leading role in adapting to any situation through research activities.

Two keynotes were presented on the first day by Professor Dr. Tim Lorman, President and Vice-Chancellor, Concordia University of Edmonton, Canada, and Professor Dr. Syed Manjurul Islam, Department of English, University of Dhaka.

Also on the first day, a panel discussion session was conducted by CBM Global. Representatives of the Co-hosts of the conference gave video presentations about the activities and achievements of their respective organizations.

The entire session of the second day and the morning sessions of the third day of the conference were conducted through the online Zoom platform. In these sessions, a total of 78 research papers from different universities, government and non-government organizations, research institutes, and development partners from 17 countries have been presented.

One keynote speaker was Prof Dr. Sanjeev Sonawane, Dean, School of Education, S. P. University of Pune, India. ACIE’s regular event: On the closing day the Nirafat Anam Memorial Inclusion (NAMI) Award has been presented for the fifth time. This award is given every two consecutive years.

This year, the UCEP Bangladesh founder late Lindsay Allan Cheyne has been honored for her role in building a cohesive society.

The Member Secretary of the Conference, Prof Dr. Tariq Ahsan thanked the conference co-organizers, guests, session chairs, panelists, participants, and all concerned.

He hopes that the research papers presented at the conference, including policy reforms, would contribute to the overall development of a sustainable education system with special attention to inclusion policies and practices for children with special needs in mainstream education.

Dhaka, 22 May, (campuslive24.com)//BSC