The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation jointly released the global knowledge index on Wednesday. Compared to 2012, Bangladesh upgraded various factors by 0.9 points and got a total score of 35.9, but the global average number is much less than 46.7. In 2012, Bangladesh was ranked 112nd.
The list was made analysing 133 factors in seven sectors. The seven sectors are : pre-university education, technical and vocational education and training, higher education and research, development and innovation, information and communication technology, economics and general capacity. Two years ago, Bangladesh was also lagging behind in the innovation index in Asia. Singapore topped in the list. According to the Global Innovation Index, the least innovative countries are Bangladesh, Kazakhstan, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Pakistan.
Development will not be sustainable without the requisite development in the education and technology sector. Therefore, the government should move away from education that creates unemployment and focus on technology-based and up-to-date education
The government is proud of its high rate of education. However, Bangladesh is in a worse position than other countries in terms of higher education among the variables of the global knowledge index. According to a report by the Economist Intelligence Unit a few years ago, Bangladesh has the highest number of educated unemployed. In other words, the practical value of what is being taught in our educational institutions is very low. We are not able to impart knowledge that has practical value.
In the Global Knowledge Index, India is at the forefront (75th in the world) among the South Asian countries with 44.4 points. Sri Lanka is ranked second in South Asia and 87th in the world with 42.1 points. On the other hand, Bhutan, Nepal and Pakistan are in the third, fourth and fifth place with scores of 40.9, 36.2 and 35.9 respectively. Bangladesh’s position in South Asia with a score of 35.9 is very pitiful.
Bangladesh is doing well in various indicators of economy and human resources. Both our average income and life expectancy have increased. But this development will not be sustainable without the requisite development in the education and technology sector. Therefore, the government should move away from education that creates unemployment and focus on technology-based and up-to-date education.
