A unique application processor (ap) developed by the Jashore Education Board has immense potential in maintaining contact between the board and students as well as giving feedback any time either side wishes. Launched on July 18 last, the ap is an online database of students under the board. Initially the ap has brought under it 1.4 million students from class VI to XII but will continue to include students of this level to be enrolled forever. Relevant information of and achievements by each student such as registration, admission card, results, academic transcripts and certificates will be uploaded against his/her ID. Thus students will be able to use the profile for their entire life. Its advantage is that they do not have to carry hard copies of their documents and will be free from any risk of loss of or damage to those. They will be just one click away from getting the prints of those documents anytime they need. In time of online application for higher studies or employment, if they link their ID with the application form it will be filled up automatically. They will also be able to search a wide range of websites including those of different ministries and the board.
The advantages of the ap do not end here. Even after the students so covered have completed their studies and doing jobs anywhere -- in Bangladesh or abroad -- wish to contact their friends, they will just knock the desirable ID to establish communication. Similarly, the board can contact any of their current or former students even in their retirement from service via the ap and the vice versa. The profiles of students will be a huge repository or archive of all who have ever studied under the Jashore Education Board. Hats off to the present chairman of the board who came up with this novel idea! If the information of students is at their fingertips, the board can make good use of this for its various benefits, because some students will be placed in important positions from where they can inspire the young generations.
When the database will act as a full-fledged repository of students' information, it may as well be used for even broader purposes. For example, students who will become teachers and engineers -software or other -- can be used for developing advanced online teaching modules and manuals which will be attractive enough for students during a pandemic like this. If a task force of educationists is formed giving the responsibility of developing such modules in line with those in countries like the United Kingdom, online teaching is expected to be better acceptable to school learners.
In this context, senior or ex-students residing in their respective areas can also be asked to help junior students or secondary or higher secondary students during such a crisis. The important thing is to bring about changes in the method of teaching and even curricula in line with the demand of the time. There has to be a focus on learning with joy and a pool of creative teachers has to be developed to take such programmes ahead. The board can monitor online the progress of education in each school by tapping a few students from time to time.
