Fumiyo Kagawa and David Selby, Sustainability Frontiers UK have completed a three-month consultancy for Save the Children Bangladesh (STC) involving reviewing the national primary and secondary school curriculum of Bangladesh through the lenses of disaster risk reduction (DRR), climate change adaptation (CCA) and school disaster risk management (SDM).
The work was conducted on behalf of the Bangladesh National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) with a view to developing a coherent, child-centered and cross-cutting approach to DRR, CCA and DRM across each grade level as well as curriculum progression with respect to knowledge, skills and attitudes through the grade levels. Learning and outcomes will be embedded in new textbooks and learning materials arising out of the Bangladesh national curriculum and textbook review, 2016-2017. The review of the primary and lower secondary curriculum involved refining and elaborating the outcomes of an earlier (October to December 2014) Save the Children Bangladesh Curriculum Review Consultancy, for details of which click here.
The review of the secondary and higher secondary curriculum involved a detailed investigation of curriculum outcomes and textbooks for grades 9, 10, 11 and 12 ably supported by an STC translating team. For both the primary and secondary reviews, using semi-structured interview schedules provided by the consultants, an STC officer conducted focus group and individual interviews with NCTB primary and secondary curriculum specialists, transcribing and translating what was said.
The outcome, A Review of the Bangladesh School Curriculum through the Lenses of Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation Learning was submitted to Save the Children on 17 November 2016. On 22, 23 and 24 November day-long workshops took place involving NCTB curriculum experts and textbook writers. The 22 November workshop focussed upon primary and lower secondary levels, involving some thirty NCTB personnel. The following day was given over to secondary and higher secondary levels with some 40 NCTB officers in attendance. The 24 November workshop brought together some 30 storybook writers, illustrators and NCTB specialists. The role of the consultants was to creatively critique the draft DRR/CCA story materials developed according to laid down DRR/CCA/DRM criteria. Following the workshop the stories and illustrations will be amended before publication. Fumiyo Kagawa was present at the Dhaka workshops while David Selby attended virtually throughout.