The government is planning a major overhaul of the country’s education curriculum from the 2028 academic year, aiming to build an education system that combines academic merit with ethics, skills and humanitarian values, Education and Primary and Mass Education Adviser and his office spokesperson Mahdi Amin has said.He said the government was moving away from a culture of artificially inflated GPA-5 results and was working to ensure more transparent and meaningful assessment.In an interview with the state-run Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS), Mahdi Amin outlined the government’s plans for curriculum reform, teacher evaluation, rehabilitation of students at risk of dropping out, technical education, industry-academia collaboration and employment services.New subjects from 2027Mahdi Amin said the government would make necessary changes to textbooks for the 2027 academic year as an interim measure, while a comprehensive curriculum reform would be introduced from 2028.From next year, four new books and subjects will be introduced at the primary and secondary levels, he said.A book titled ‘Sports and Culture’ will be introduced from Class IV, while ‘Learning with Happiness’ and ‘Technical Education’ will be introduced from Class VI.The new curriculum will also familiarise students with robotics, artificial intelligence and technologies related to the Fourth Industrial Revolution, he said.Artificial flood of GPA-5 endedSpeaking about the recent SSC and equivalent examination results, Mahdi Amin alleged that during the previous government, GPA-5 results were artificially inflated to present better statistics.There was even a culture of passing students without them sitting for examinations, he said.We have ended that self-defeating practice. No grace marks were given this time. Students received their genuine results through a completely neutral and transparent evaluation process, he added.Support for students who fail SSCThe government will not consider students who failed the recently published SSC examinations or are at risk of dropping out as a burden, Mahdi Amin said.He said special policies were being formulated for them.Such students will be encouraged to enrol in Technical Training Centres (TTCs) and short-term technical and vocational courses. The government will also create employment opportunities for them and, where necessary, provide financial support to help them become entrepreneurs, he said.Employment exchanges plannedTo bridge the gap between job seekers and employers, the government plans to establish ‘Employment Exchanges’ at divisional and district levels, Mahdi Amin said.Young people will be able to register with details of their skills and qualifications, allowing industries and other employers to directly connect with potential workers.The initiative will initially be introduced at the divisional level and later expanded to every district, with the private sector being brought into the process.One Teacher, One TabletThe government also plans to provide digital tablets to teachers under a One Teacher, One Tablet programme, Mahdi Amin said.The initiative will gradually cover teachers from primary to higher levels of education. It is intended to strengthen digital skills, modern training and professional development among teachers.Focus on research and industry linksThe government is also working to strengthen research at universities and improve their position in global rankings, he said.Universities will be encouraged to conduct joint research with local industries to address real-world problems. The government also plans to bring Bangladeshi researchers and academics working abroad back into the country, turning the existing ‘brain drain’ into ‘brain circulation’.Government allocations for research will also be increased significantly, he said.Reducing urban-rural education gapsTo reduce disparities between urban and rural schools, the government has introduced nationwide competitions, including the ‘Primary School Gold Cup Football Tournament’ and ‘Innovation and Startup Competition’.These initiatives are intended to provide talented students from remote areas with opportunities to gain national recognition.Mahdi Amin said the government was committed to building a generation equipped not only with academic certificates but also with skills, employment opportunities, ethical values and a sense of humanity.