Lesson 1/34 min

Education commissions and the national policy

Education commissions in order

No.CommissionYear
1Qudrat-e-Khuda Education Commission (the first)1972
2Mafizuddin Education Commission1988
3Shamsul Haque Education Commission1997
4M. A. Bari Education Commission2002
5Moniruzzaman Miah Education Commission2003
CommitteeNational Education Policy committee led by Kabir Chowdhury2009

Watch out: Zubair lists five commissions; adding the Kabir Chowdhury committee makes six, and an exam has accepted ‘six’. So decide on a count question by looking at the options. Years follow the books: the Mafizuddin commission was formed in 1987 and reported in 1988; the Bari committee was formed in 2001 and reported in 2002; the Moniruzzaman commission was formed in 2003 and reported in 2004.

Qudrat-e-Khuda Commission (1972)

  • Bangladesh's first education commission; formed on 26 July 1972
  • Head: educationist and scientist Dr. Qudrat-e-Khuda
  • Report handed to the government in 1974, titled ‘Bangladesh Education Commission Report’ (also called the ‘Qudrat-e-Khuda Education Commission Report’)
  • Recommended universal, free and compulsory primary education, and a single-stream education system

Shamsul Haque Commission (1997)

  • Chairman: Professor M. Shamsul Haque, former Vice-Chancellor of Dhaka University
  • 56 members; report published in 1997
  • The ‘National Education Policy 2000’ was prepared in its light

Kabir Chowdhury committee and the 2010 policy

  • In 2009 a committee led by National Professor Kabir Chowdhury was formed to update the 2000 policy
  • On its recommendations the new National Education Policy was framed in 2010; Parliament passed it on 7 December 2010
  • Three tiers of education: primary (classes 1–8), secondary (9–12), higher (undergraduate and beyond)

Watch out: Zubair's heading reads ‘National Education Policy 2009’. The committee was formed in 2009, but the policy was approved in 2010, and the exam answer is 2010.

Memory trick: Order of the commissions: Qudrat (72) → Mafiz (88) → Shamsul (97) → Bari (02) → Moniruzzaman (03) → Kabir committee (09).

Check yourself

When and under whom was the first education commission formed?

At a glance

  1. 1

    The first education commission: Qudrat-e-Khuda Commission, formed 26 July 1972; report in 1974.

  2. 2

    The Shamsul Haque Commission (1997, 56 members) led to the National Education Policy 2000.

  3. 3

    The Kabir Chowdhury committee was formed in 2009; the National Education Policy 2010 (passed in Parliament 7 December 2010).

  4. 4

    Under the 2010 policy, the primary stage runs from class 1 to class 8.

  5. 5

    Zubair's list: Qudrat (1972), Mafizuddin (1988), Shamsul Haque (1997), Bari (2002), Moniruzzaman Miah (2003).