DHAKA: The Election Commission (EC) has taken an initiative to include polls information in the academic curriculum of schools and colleges.

The commission has also constituted a four-member committee with this objective.

EC sources said that ‘Election affairs information’ will be included in the primary, secondary and higher secondary level books. The education ministry has also been consulted to this end.

An EC official of deputy secretary level told that this information was included in the curriculum in a limited way in some classes in 1998.

“At present there is no such syllabus. On the other hand, it is very important for all to learn about election process, voter list and national identity card affairs. For this reason the initiative has once again been taken.”

Besides, the election information is likely to be included in the courses of the foundation training for the teachers of primary and high school levels since they are the ones mostly involved with polling processes including preparing voter lists and distribution of NIDs.

On last Wednesday (June 8), a four-member committee has been formed with EC’s polls management section deputy secretary Farhad Ahmed Khan as the convener and senior assistant secretary Farhad Hossain as the member secretary.

An office order of the EC, signed by assistant secretary Razib Ahmed, said that the committee will perform three responsibilities of including the election information in the curriculum of primary, secondary and higher secondary level, in the foundation courses of the teachers and to include in the courses of teachers training institutes.

The committee will submit those in the form of recommendations. The information will be included according to the level of classes. If there is any old information in any text book those will be updated and send to education ministry with the approval of EC.

Copies of the formation of the aforesaid committee have been sent to education secretary, directorate of secondary and higher education, primary education directorate and to the chairman of national curriculum and text book board.

Wishing anonymity, a member of the committee told banglanews that the initiative has been taken after discussing with the education ministry.

First, we will prepare proposals of content to be included and send it to EC for approval. Then, it will be sent to the ministry to include in the curriculums.

This will help the students to learn about the whole gamut of election process. The trained teachers will teach the students accordingly, he added.

BDST: 1408 HRS, JUN 09, 2016
Shahjahan/SR