Why I think children should be educated in English medium I grew up hearing negative things about English medium schools. As a result, I was prejudiced against educating my children in Bengali medium. But after educating my two sons in both Bengali and English medium, I gained some practical experience. Now I think that those who have the ability should educate their children in English medium. I am not saying this based on any calculation that English medium is better than Bengali medium. I still believe that education should be in the mother tongue. But in the context of our country's education system, that does not work. Because, every government considers children in Bengali medium as political guinea pigs. When the government comes, that government will touch the syllabus, change the text. My son studied one kind of history of the Liberation War until class four, now he is studying another, And if another party comes to power, he’ll read a different version instead—someone who is a hero this year might be a villain the next. This change is not only in the field of the Liberation War, but everywhere from national history to literature texts. Last year was a story of development, this year was another story of development. Changes also come in social customs and practices. Suppose, in one place, boys and girls help their mothers with housework, girls go to the market with their fathers. Now the opposite is done. Why do girls go to the market in a Muslim society? One side changed this question. Another side came and thought that girls and boys should get an idea about each other's work in the work exchange. Or there should be no gender in work. Now which side is right or wrong is not my subject of discussion. Since my words as a public person have no value, I do not give any opinion, you decide which one to teach my child. You do not say while taking bribes, if such and such a group takes bribes, we will not take them, if the previous group did corruption, we will not do it. If the policy on corruption and bribery is not changed, why is it in the children's textbooks? Even in the last fifty years, this nation has not established a single integrated education policy, and there is no sign of it in the future. Since we do not have the power to implement this expectation, those who have the ability should not educate their children in Bengali medium. There is no problem with policy changes from year to year in English medium. Changing the syllabus and changing basic policies are two different things. Updating the syllabus if necessary and making policy changes along with changing the political scene, changing history are not the same thing. Since I myself am educating my son in Bengali medium, I want to say one thing to all political parties, my son is not a voter of yours. Not a voter of any party. He is only 11 years old. Of course, there was no problem in being a voter, vote politics do not work very well in this country. I myself have never voted even once in my life. In my forty years of life, I have no experience of voting at the village, police station, district, or national level. I will not do so in the future either. Because I want to vote for at least one honest person, I will never get that guarantee in this dying country. My not voting does not matter in the politics of Bangladesh, so let's get to the point. It won't work, but I still request you, please forgive our children from your political hatred, political history. Create such a textbook that no party has to come and touch it, at least for political reasons. Turn everything else upside down, divide the country, and forgive only the children. This is a request to all rulers. I would not have made this request if I had educated my own children in English medium. Of course, our request will not work, so I request you, those who have the ability, to educate your children in English medium. Don't ruin your child's life with false emotions, because others will do politics with your emotions. Those who do politics with children's textbooks, but they don't make mistakes in their own case, they just educate their children in English medium. Let me advocate a little more in favor of English medium, I used to think that Bengali/Bangladeshi culture is not taught in English medium schools. But in my own experience, English medium schools celebrate Bengali/Bangladeshi festivals more than Bengali medium schools. Of course, when all parties could not unite at the national level regarding Bangladesh and Bengali culture, why not teach it? And given the situation in the country, if your child does not grow up to be a swindler and a blind communalist, it is better to keep the option of sending him abroad in mind now. In this case the English medium will also be helpful.
Reference:
"Why I Think Children Should Be Educated in English Medium." BD Today, May 6, 2025.
https://bdtoday.net/opinion/30002
