What is it?

21st-century skills require a 21st-century education system. The traditional education system is obsolete in the new normal catalyzed by COVID-19. Blended education has thus been an integral strategy in Bangladesh’s journey towards achieving quality education, skills and human-resource development in the new normal.

The Blended Education Accelerator (BEA) is a national public-private collaboration platform that brings stakeholders from across primary and secondary education in Bangladesh together to prepare the next generation of talent for the future of work.

BEA focuses on 3 major areas. It:

• CONNECTS

1. 1. 1. Creates a ‘phygital’ space to facilitate direct interaction among users of blended education – students, teachers, parents, administrators, and policymakers.

• EXPLORES

1. 1. 1. Links to a global network of learning and mutual exchange featuring leading experts and learning partners.

• INNOVATES

1. 1. Cultivates the spirit of a human-centered design approach across the blended education ecosystem through deep engagement and understanding of the experiences of users.
   2. Provides resources and support to innovators for rapid scale-up of inclusive blended education solutions.
   3. Implements new data and measurement mechanisms for Education 4.0

While acting locally, BEA is committed to thinking globally through its participation as a member of the World Economic Forum’s Closing the Education Gap Accelerators global learning network.

It also strengthens the Annual International Blended Education Summit, organized by the Government of Bangladesh – a flagship event that connects educational forums from around the world.

Key Focus Areas

Under the visionary leadership of Honourable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Digital Bangladesh has created the foundation for an Inclusive Blended Education Ecosystem. It brings together public-private sectors and combines high-, low- and no-tech resources to enable learners from varying socio-economic backgrounds to have greater control over where they learn, when they learn and how they learn, thus ensuring personalised education for all.

Covid-19 presents an innovation dividend in terms of generating mass awareness, acceptance and scaling digital services to ensure no one is left behind. It also accelerated the development of a comprehensive National Blended Education and Skills Master Plan, 2022-2031 by the multi-ministerial National Taskforce for Blended Education chaired by Honourable Minister of Education

The master plan is based on Blended Education For All (BEFA) Framework, Made in Bangladesh, this framework is based on the 13 years long journey of digital transformation by the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Primary and Mass Education and a2i Programme of the ICT Division and , Cabinet Division with technical support from and UNDP Bangladesh.

BEA’s Key National Public and Private Actors

Key Activities 

BEA is sparking innovation across the primary and secondary sub-sectors, by (i) conducting situational analyses, (ii) documenting best practices, (iii) evaluating impact, (iv) developing guidelines, systems and capacity and finally (v) organizing flagship regional summits.

BEA will also play a key role in driving technology adoption (infrastructure, pedagogy and education content & resources), implementing new measurement mechanisms (assessments), empowering educators (teachers’ professional development), mobilize investment in education (financial innovation) and nurture data-driven planning and decision-making (evidence).

BEA’s engagement with WEF’s Closing the Education Gap Accelerators will not only strengthen the blended education ecosystem in Bangladesh through crowd-sourcing insights both locally and globally, but also enable Bangladesh to engage more deeply in other relevant educational forums around the world. It is hoped that BEA will play a pivotal role in transforming primary and secondary education systems and prepare the next generation of learners for an innovative Bangladesh.

For more information – Please visit https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/05/six-elements-accelerating-education-for-a-smart-bangladesh-and-a-smart-world