Newspapers could easily invite a debate on whether or not the curriculum of the SSC or the HSC is reflective of our changing society, especially when globalisation is a fact of life. Education encompasses something less tangible but more profound and reflects the imparting of knowledge and positive judgement on the direction and growth desired by the nation. Education has, as one of its fundamental aspects, the imparting of cultural values from generation to generation. It is in fact the most powerful tool for socialisation. It is true that the education system as a whole gradually instills nationalism in the pupil's mind; it works as a valuable tool in achieving a unified national identity and social cohesion to a very great extent. Therefore, it is essential that we ask if our educational system cultivates or gradually destroys the prospects of millions of young minds.

One of the most talked about educational issues is different tiers of the educational system. Different tiers are associated with specific ideology and reflect different philosophies of individual and national life. Therefore, the picture of our social cohesion is one of discomfort. Fortunately, many people are more concerned about this than ever before as many come to realise the fact that monosyllabic education brings about nothing but well-being and social cohesion and minimises the impact of class conflict.

Very often, I tend to think if the pass rate of board examinations is premeditated, since it is not rare that the political party in power or interest groups are very alert to take advantage of some positive statistics for their public image, whereas the nation could potentially suffer from intellectual shallowness. Rate of pass could suggest that either the board examinations are too difficult or too easy for the students of a particular age group. So, serious consideration is required on a constant basis as to the evaluation procedure of the two major board examinations.

I was fortunate to come across a piece of writing by Dr. Zafar Iqbal published in The Daily Star, where he discussed scientific terminology in Bengali science textbooks for school goers. He addresses issues such as, exposure to real scientific terms for Bengali textbook readers and the complexities and difficulties students face when they go for higher studies, as they have to switch over to English language and so on. It amazes me the way he, unfailingly, notices gaps in the education system. Interestingly, issues that he often comes up with are the ones which should have been highlighted by professional educationists.

It is depressing, yet not surprising, that we do not see any functional R&D in our education sector. But, fortunately, we have a few academicians who are always outspoken about this and never falter to give us their candid judgments. However, the time when national board examinations are held is a good time to press these issues harder, since that increases the likelihood of more attention and concern. I am particularly concerned about our national dailies, as I believe that the press is still the strongest outlet in Bangladesh.