Education minister stresses AI use, technical education to build skilled workforce

Education Minister ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon has stressed the need to increase the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the education system.

He said there is no alternative to transforming the country’s population into skilled human resources to ensure national development. “To this end, we are modernising the education system,” he said.

The minister made the remarks while addressing a plenary session titled “Teachers at the Center: Agency, Competencies and the Teacher-Student Relationship” at UNESCO’s Digital Learning Week in Paris, France, on Wednesday.

He further said there is no scope to refrain from using AI in the present era. The use of AI is increasing in educational institutions across the world, and Bangladesh is also working to promote its use.

Teachers need to be trained for the effective use of AI in classrooms, he said. To this end, the government has already undertaken various programmes, including “One Teacher, One Tab” and “Multimedia Classroom.”

The minister urged UNESCO to extend cooperation for the successful implementation of these programmes.

He also said there is a huge global demand for skilled workers in technical education. Expatriate workers are one of the major sources of foreign currency earnings for Bangladesh. If skilled workers can be sent abroad, the country’s economy will become stronger, he added.

“Therefore, greater importance must be given to technical education,” he said.

At the same time, Bangladesh is emphasising the learning of a third language alongside Bangla and English to develop skilled manpower and improve communication skills, the minister said.

“The country’s large population is our main asset. Therefore, to turn this population into human resources, we must equip them with the necessary skills,” he said.

He also stressed the importance of higher education alongside technical education, saying research is essential for the country’s development. “For this, we need to acquire proficiency in English alongside Bangla, as English serves as the main medium of communication with the rest of the world,” he added.

Carlos Vargas, Chief of UNESCO’s Teacher Development Section, delivered the welcome address at the event.