Abstract
This chapter aims to discuss the training modules of the civil service training of the Bangladesh Public Administration Training Centre and to look for ways to contribute in the future. Following the Indigenous Research Methodology and aligning with the conceptual frameworks, this study analyzed the training curriculum design and participants' behavior who have a colonial legacy. After they were trained in this center, then the colonial behavior and attitude bloomed in their minds. However, findings showed that Bangladesh's civil service has a strong colonial legacy since it is aligned with the decolonial curriculum; both are reflected in their everyday life events. As a recommendation, the chapter proposed reciprocal leadership and governance instead of good governance to free from the decolonial curriculum.
TopIntroduction
This chapter is an important contribution to debates on knowledge production (Husar et al., 1997) in a training centre through the Bangladesh Public Administration Training Centre (hereafter BPATC) curriculum in Bangladesh as it raises the all-important debilitating problem of the captive mind in civil services training program (Roy et al., 2022). It seems like” Bullshit jobs” (Graeber, 2018). The authors want to unveil also faculty members' facilitating positions in the scholar world, like Research Gate, academia, and Google Scholar, for discussion of the work of the Malaysian intellectual Syed Hussein Alatas's concept of the 'Captive Mind' (Alatas, 1972). In this way, it is hoped that Alatas' ideas will stir debates on the captive mind within the training institutes (curriculum, policy), trainers, and trainees through the blending of three concepts— 1Captive- mind, academic positions, and Bullshit jobs (CAB). The CAB is an important starting point for understanding the curriculum, Institutions, and knowledge production conditions like in Bangladesh. Identified decades ago, it persists as a problem up till today. Furthermore, it is related to two other problems, intellectual imperialism and academic dependency (Alatas,1972), to establish Reciprocal Governance [instead of good governance] in Bangladesh (Roy, 2023a, b).
According to Syed Hussein Alatas (1972), the ideas of intellectual imperialism and academic Dependence are directly related to mental enslavement. Such types of enslavement are available in the administrative services (Roy, 2020; Ali, 2007; Roy et al., 2022). However, the term 'captive mind' refers to a mental condition in which one's thinking is greatly influenced by an outside source, leading to an uncritical and imitative attitude. This type of captivity not only makes the chaos within services rather more catastrophic brings in the society that we see in the write-up of former bureaucrats (Ali, 1968, 2007). Western social science and humanities are the external sources in this situation, and they impact all parts of scientific inquiry, such as the choice of problems, conceptualization, analysis, generalization, description, and interpretation (Haque & Mahfuzul, 2019; Farrel & Hicks, 2019).
Some traits of the imprisoned mind are the incapacity to be creative and raise original questions, the inability to develop original analytical approaches and alienation from the basic issues of [community] indigenous society. Additionally, it is mostly taught by Western educators, either directly in the West or through the works made available in regional training facilities (Reichard & Schroter, 2018). The suggestion of answers and guiding principles can sometimes be considered mental captivity. It also manifests itself at the methodological and practical training levels. The views and perspectives of colonized people regarding their patrons or overlords are particularly important and, as Saberwal (1999) remarked, are pitiful. The manifestation of the captive mind is what Kothari referred to as the expressions of Dependence and servility as attitudes of the mind and deference to external authority denote a mentality of seeking guidance from others and obediently conforming to those who hold positions of influence (Kothari, 2005, 1970; Saberwal, 1999).
Key Terms in this Chapter
Course Curriculum: A course curriculum refers to a sequential arrangement of courses that trainees must complete as part of their training program. Faculty members construct curricula, which are frequently updated based on participants' feedback. Curriculum refers to the specific content and material taught within a certain course or subject. A curriculum is a dynamic educational framework encompassing defined objectives, subject matter, instructional approaches, assessment methods, and educational materials. The curriculum aims to effectively transmit and cultivate knowledge, skills, and attitudes. When considering UDL, we identify four essential elements of a curriculum: the objectives, the instructional strategies, the resources, and the evaluation. BPATC is responsible for both setting the goals and evaluating the course curriculum. However, this chapter provides valuable knowledge on the methodology of decolonial studies. This chapter critically examines the methods used in the evaluation process, particularly concerning training philosophy or methodology, after the results were published in daily newspapers in Bangladesh.
Training: Training is the process of imparting or growing in oneself or others any abilities, know-how, or physical fitness related to certain practical competencies. Enhancing one's ability, capacity, productivity, and performance are the specific objectives of training. The process of improving an employee's knowledge and abilities to perform a specific job is known as training. It aims to enhance trainees' work habits and performance on the job.
Training Methodology: Methodology is here to understand the philosophical position taught to the participants, not methods, tools, and techniques like in the research course. When the participants come here either for job confirmation or leisure time, it is pertinent to impose upon the methodological position in this institution for the effectiveness of the impact of social justice and human rights in society.
BPATC: Bangladesh Public Administration Training Centre, popularly known as BPATC, is situated in Savar, Bangladesh. It is an apex training body for all civil servants but health and education service cadre. This institute consists of two faculty types: One deputed from the civil services, and another own faculty members. To understand the decolonial training attitude and education, the relationship between the two is suitable and an outcome of the colonial legacy.
Decolonial Training Curriculum: It is a process in BPATC that gets to grips with the nature of the colonial legacy on our current state of knowledge and learning practices. With many examples, this curriculum is intended as a practical guide to help trainees instigate meaningful decolonial changes in their official settings. It is indeed an understanding of the history of colonialism and the legacy of colonial thought with respect to the development of training institutes and other institutions.
Decolonial Legacy: It is indeed the undoing process after colonialism to establish and dominate Western knowledge in a true sense to uphold dominance in all spheres. The meanings and applications of the term also need to be clarified. Scholars extend the meaning to include economic, cultural, and psychological aspects of the colonial experience. However, it has been analysised through course curriculum contents; this legacy extends to the civil services.
Captive Minded: This term is used by the Malaysian Thinker Syed Hussain Alatas to recognise the narrow and backboneless intellectuals who are congested in thinking and activities. These typical non-active-minded persons are available in society as a burden part.