Trained Teachers in All Primary Classrooms Nationwide by 2028: State Minister

The State Minister for Primary and Mass Education, Bobby Hajjaj, has announced that the government will ensure 100% trained teachers in all primary classrooms across the country by 2028. This upcoming mandatory directive will apply uniformly across all state-run, private, kindergarten, and English-medium educational institutions.

The State Minister disclosed the plan today, Monday (June 22), while addressing a national dialogue titled Early Childhood Development Policy as the chief guest. The event was jointly organized by Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) and the Bangladesh ECD Network at the IUB Multipurpose Hall in the capital's Bashundhara area.

During his address, the State Minister emphasized that true academic development extends far beyond infrastructural expansions, requiring skilled educators, modern frameworks, and joyful learning environments.

"True educational development cannot be achieved solely by constructing buildings. We need skilled teachers, a timely curriculum, and a joyful environment where learning feels like a privilege rather than a burden to a child. The student must remain the absolute center of our entire system." — Bobby Hajjaj, State Minister for Primary and Mass Education

The State Minister revealed that the government is actively working to finalize a comprehensive restructuring of the national primary curriculum within the next one year. To achieve this, he committed to shielding the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) from any undue external influences, guaranteeing total professional autonomy for the textbook board's experts.

The State Minister strongly advocated for raising the quality of life for educators, noting that substantial improvements in national literacy are impossible unless teachers are provided with financially, socially, and professionally dignified lives.

The Ministry of Primary and Mass Education has also outlined two major systemic transformations to overhaul foundational learning. Under the first initiative, the government has drafted a phased plan to convert all double-shift public primary schools into single-shift operations, as the current two-shift setup severely limits the class contact hours and focus that young pupils receive. Secondly, under the new universal training mandate, no untrained teacher will be legally permitted to conduct classes in any primary classroom nationwide after 2028, establishing a standardized baseline for foundational education.

The national dialogue was chaired by IUB Vice-Chancellor Professor M. Tamim. The high-level session also featured prominent speakers including Farid Ahmed, Director General of the National Academy for Primary Education (NAPE), and Didar A. Husain, Chairman of the IUB Board of Trustees, alongside senior representatives from various non-governmental organizations and media outlets.