The students’ career choice and job preparedness strategies: A social environmental perspective

The study aimed to investigate the factors determining the students’ career choice and find out their job preparedness strategies. Moreover, the study sought to propose a theory which could explain the students’ career choice from a social environmental perspective. Primary data for this study were collected from 120 students selected from fourteen academic departments of the Noakhali Science and Technology University (NSTU) in Bangladesh based on snow-ball sampling. The study revealed that several factors involving students’ family preferences, teachers’ advice, job prestige, job security, remunerations, scope of promotion, scope of pension, scope of professional development, personal interests, academic majors, educational attainments and career development trainings have significant association with the students’ career decision-making. However, gender and social class did not have significant effects on the students’ career choice. The study proposed a career choice theory which indicates that the students’ career choice and career preferences are not determined by their personal interests alone; rather they are determined by the interplay of several social, cultural and economic forces. The study indicated that the majority of the respondents undertake self-study to pursue their preferred jobs. While career development trainings play an important role in developing the competencies of the students for jobs, a majority of the respondents do not have such trainings. As such, the study suggested that the students of the NSTU should undertake career development courses as a strategy for job preparedness. Finally, the study suggested that the NSTU should set up a career guidance and counseling cell to link their students with the current labor market

Does Primary Education Hinder Child Development? A Study of Six Selected Primary Schools of Dhaka City in Bangladesh

The study was intended to explore the effects of primary education on the childhood of the students of Dhaka city. Primary data for this study were collected from 18 students of 6 schools of Dhaka city by using semi-structured interview schedules. The study reveals that several factors pertaining to primary education such as unwillingness to go to school, excessive burden of textbooks, pressure of homework, lack of opportunities to play, frequent number of examinations, parents’ unhealthy competition for good results have adverse effects on child development. The study puts forward that the adverse effects of primary schools including Government primary schools and kindergarten schools have caused adverse physical, psychological, cognitive and personality development among the students and disrupted their joyful and playful childhood and social learning. Unified primary education is a utopia in Bangladesh making disparities among the students of different categories of schools. Children are going to school with a heavy bag loaded with textbooks, notebooks and other needed things. Children are going through mental pressure about their results and good grades which are appreciated with chocolates and their bad results are depreciated with rebuke and punishment. The most important factor of students’ attraction to go to school is the opportunity to play with the friends. Free, joyous, playful and colorful childhood of the primary level students is disappearing in the urban areas of Dhaka due to excessive study pressure in the primary level. However, the study recommends that a unified primary education system should be ensured in Bangladesh as soon as possible which would help the social, emotional and cognitive development of the children protecting their colorful childhood

Linking TVET with Industries in Bangladesh: Need for Supportive Policies and an Approach to TVET

While TVET is critical for development, there is a gap between skill development and employment, especially between TVET and industries in Bangladesh. As such, the study was intended to find out the supportive policies and an approach to TVET in order to link TVET with industries. The study was basically a qualitative study in which both primary and secondary data were used. Primary data were collected through semi-structured interviews with twelve purposively selected respondents working in various Government agencies and TVET institutions in Bangladesh. The study has indicated that the collaboration between TVET institutions and industries, and supportive public policy are necessary in order to link TVET with industries. Supportive public policy involves ensuring industries’ participation in designing curriculum and training, updating curriculum and training in response to market needs and changing technology, introducing dual system with strong focus on workplace learning, and public employment service, implementing National Skills Development Policy-2011 and National Skills Data System, and so on. The study has argued that the collaboration between TVET institutions and industries, and supportive public policy will create an enabling environment that would link TVET with industries in Bangladesh. Finally, the study has proposed a partnership-based approach to TVET where both the partners – TVET institution and industry – will work together and undertake joint initiatives based on mutual commitment and shared responsibility to promote formal and non-formal TVET in Bangladesh in line with labour market needs and technological changes