My experience over the last 40 years does not make me optimistic about the success of similar plans here. Putting 3 different types of education into a sack and giving them a good shake is no guarantee that one, unified and glorious system will emerge. The wrong diagnosis and the wrong treatment could kill the 'patient'.

The English-medium schools that I know do NOT fail to teach their pupils the language, history, culture and citizenship of their country and aim to turn their pupils into 'foreigners'. I could write an article about this -- in fact, I have. I am sure also that some prestigious Bengali-medium schools are furious at the accusation that they do not teach English properly. And I have been reliably informed that some madrassahs have teachers of Science and English who are doing an excellent job.

Schools are not factories, nor can they be run by formulae. A good school is a bit of a mystery actually -- and a fragile plant that can too easily be crushed. If we knew what made a good school, we could put it in a bottle and sell it. In countries all over the world, different ways of running schools have evolved and, with a light and wise touch, that can work out just fine. It also seems to be what parents like and, with no government help, the different systems can monitor one another, spur one another on to higher standards and everyone can benefit. Teachers are usually creative people and different types of schools can pioneer a certain variety of syllabuses, choices of books, methods of discipline, extra-curricular activities etc. from which all can benefit. Already, cross-fertilisation between schools is bringing many blessings.

Of course, a good government must ask for registration, set standards and parameters and appoint inspectors.

Let us not imagine that a measure of freedom in education will bring down the forces of chaos upon the nation. Rather the reverse. A government determined to be Big Brother can end up with the education system in big trouble.