Teacher training key to advancing early childhood development, says Bobby Hajjaj

Policymakers, academics and development practitioners called for stronger teacher development and curriculum reform to advance early childhood development in Bangladesh at a national dialogue hosted by Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB).

The seminar, titled “National Dialogue on Early Childhood Development Policy and Practice”, was organised by the Department of Public Health under the School of Pharmacy and Public Health (SPPH) at IUB, according to a press release.

Bobby Hajjaj, MP, state minister for primary and mass education, attended the event as chief guest. The session was chaired by Prof. Dr. M. Tamim, vice chancellor of IUB.

Among the special guests were Didar A. Husain, chairman of the IUB Board of Trustees; Trustee Javed Hosein; and Farid Ahmed, director general of the National Academy for Primary Education (NAPE).

Speaking at the seminar, Bobby Hajjaj said, “Improving early childhood development requires sustained investment in both curriculum and teacher development. Curriculum reform must come first, as it provides the foundation for how children learn and how teachers engage with them. At the pre-primary and primary levels, learning should focus on developing children's cognitive abilities, curiosity, communication skills, and problem-solving capacity.”

He also said, “We need to move beyond approaches that emphasize memorization and examination performance and instead create learning environments that actively engage children in the learning process. The government remains committed to strengthening teacher training and modernizing educational practices to support these goals.”

The state minister also praised IUB for bringing together stakeholders working in the field of early childhood development.

Farid Ahmed said, “Early childhood development is a shared responsibility of parents, schools, and the government. It goes far beyond counting classrooms, benches, or facilities; it is about creating an environment that supports children's learning, development, well-being, and future potential from the very beginning.”

Prof. Dr. M. Tamim said IUB remained committed to working with government and non-government organisations and other stakeholders to support early childhood development initiatives.

Mahmuda Akhter, vice-chair of the Bangladesh ECD Network (BEN), delivered a keynote presentation on the importance of early childhood development, particularly at the pre-primary level. She highlighted the need for coordinated efforts among stakeholders to strengthen programmes supporting young children.

Dr. Kamran ul Baset, dean of SPPH, presented a keynote paper on teacher development and training, particularly for pre-primary and primary education. He later moderated an open discussion involving representatives from government agencies, academia, development organisations and the private sector.

Prof. Dr. Daniel W. Lund, pro vice chancellor of IUB, delivered the closing remarks. The programme was hosted by Dr. Tanvir Ahmed, senior lecturer of public health at IUB, while Dr. Bilkis Banu, associate professor of public health, delivered the opening remarks.

Bangladesh ECD Network (BEN) is a national platform of organisations and professionals working to promote early childhood development through advocacy, knowledge sharing, capacity building and collaboration among stakeholders. IUB is an executive member of the network.