Dr. Milan presents Draft AI Policy 2026–2030 in Paris; urges teacher readiness and child data privacy
Education Minister Advocates Native-Language AI at UNESCO Summit
- Education Minister outlines Bangladesh's framework on AI-enabled learning at UNESCO's Digital Learning Week 2026 in Paris
- Emphasizes mother-tongue AI models, child data safety, and dedicated pedagogical training manuals for educators
- Highlights 'One Teacher, One Tab' rollout alongside expanding technical education and third-language competencies
PARIS/DHAKA: Underlining the strategic priority to transition Bangladesh's demographic dividend into skilled human capital, Minister for Education and Primary & Mass Education Dr. A N M Ehsanul Hoque Milan emphasized the structured, ethical adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education.
He delivered his address at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris on Wednesday, 9 September 2026, during the plenary session titled 'Teachers at the center: Agency, competencies and the teacher-student relationship' at Digital Learning Week 2026. The session opened with remarks by Carlos Vargas, Head of UNESCO’s Teacher Development Section.
The Education Minister observed that as frontier technologies reshape contemporary pedagogy, modernizing classroom delivery requires direct teacher empowerment. To operationalize AI safely within the national education stream, Bangladesh has instituted targeted programs including the 'One Teacher, One Tab' distribution initiative and digitized multimedia classrooms.
Dr. Milan sought bilateral technical and operational collaboration from UNESCO to accelerate these programs. He also highlighted the state's emphasis on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), research-driven higher education, and the introduction of a third international language alongside Bengali and English to enhance global workforce mobility.
Delegation sources noted that during the opening ceremony on 8 September, Dr. Milan received a warm welcome from UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany. The foundational address was presented by Amandeep Singh Gill, UN Under-Secretary-General and Special Envoy on Digital and Emerging Technologies.
Addressing the ministerial roundtable on “Age Appropriateness and AI in Education,” Dr. Milan showcased Bangladesh's draft “National Artificial Intelligence Policy 2026–2030.” Addressing the risks of unvetted generative tools on children’s cognitive and psychological development, he disclosed that Bangladesh has established a specialized AI instructional manual for educators.
Crucially, the Minister noted that mainstream global Large Language Models (LLMs) consistently fail to address the contextual and pedagogical demands of Bengali-speaking pupils. He called on the international community to design native-language inclusive AI architectures tailored to localized competency curricula, while maintaining robust data protection and privacy guardrails for minors.
During the summit, the Minister engaged in sideline ministerial meetings and addressed technical breakouts including “Beyond the Pilot: Insights from AI in English Language Teaching at Scale.”
Running from 8 to 11 September 2026 under the theme “Education in the Age of AI: Facts, Frictions, Frontiers,” the global event convenes education ministers and delegations from 25 nations alongside international edtech researchers.
//DBTech/AMPR/SME/FOET//
