Textbooks going digital in September

The government has taken an initiative to turn textbooks of students of class VI to X to Interactive Digital Textbooks (IDTs), first of its kind in the country, officials said.

The National Curriculum and Textbook Board Bangladesh (NCTB) and the Teaching Quality Improvement-II in Secondary Education, under the education ministry, in collaboration with Brac have already started preparing the IDTs, they added.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to launch the IDTs in September.

According to the sources, the education ministry and Brac have already provided extensive training to experts and trainers of 14 Teachers Training Colleges, five Higher Secondary Teachers Training Institutes, home economic college, education boards and technical education board and they have started making digital content for the IDTs.

Experts of Bangladesh Association of Software Information and Services (BASIS) and Access to Information (A2I) Programme have also been providing technical assistance in preparing the IDTs, the sources added. 

Education Secretary Md Nazrul Islam Khan said his ministry is in negotiations with donors for funds to provide tablets to students so that they can read the IDT online and avoid carrying so many books to their classes.

"The IDTs will be attractive and enjoyable for the students as the topic contains videos and animation through hyperlinks," Khan said.