Bangladesh faces significant challenges in its education sector, characterized by a shortage of teachers, inadequate resources, and a system under strain long before the pandemic highlighted its weaknesses. Shahir Chowdhury, the Founder and CEO of Shikho, acknowledges this reality without romanticizing it. He emphasizes the scarcity of high-quality educators, classrooms, and learning materials to adequately serve the country’s young and talented population.
The resulting gap is often filled by private tutoring, exacerbating inequality as access to education becomes income-dependent and outcomes vary based on geographical location. Shikho, however, was not established merely as another app in this landscape but as a catalyst for transforming the existing educational paradigm.
Chowdhury articulates the mission of Shikho as democratizing access to superior learning opportunities by leveraging technology to amplify effective teaching methods, thereby breaking the link between a child’s birthplace and the quality of education they receive. The significance of his work becomes evident when examining the broader educational ecosystem.
The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic prompted a shift towards online education in Bangladesh, previously considered peripheral and experimental. With schools shuttered, virtual learning became a necessity, leading to a national experiment in remote education. Chowdhury notes that many families discovered the efficacy of online learning when appropriately designed, challenging the skepticism that prevailed before.
However, Chowdhury cautions against reducing online education to mere video recordings or emergency virtual classes, emphasizing the importance of sustainable digital learning infrastructure. He envisions artificial intelligence (AI) as a supportive learning tool rather than a substitute for teachers. AI systems tailored to the Bengali curriculum can assist students in grasping concepts, identifying gaps, and learning from mistakes, particularly beneficial in classrooms where teacher resources are stretched thin.
By integrating AI responsibly, Chowdhury believes every student can receive personalized support at scale without replacing the crucial role of teachers. This approach aims to address the imbalance where a limited number of teachers bear the responsibility of educating numerous students. For Chowdhury, AI is about equity, ensuring that high-quality feedback, once a luxury, becomes standard practice.
Chowdhury’s work environment reflects his preference for a serene and structured space conducive to clear thinking. He values minimal distractions, natural light, and ample room for focused contemplation. His design philosophy, characterized by minimalism with warmth, extends to how he envisions educational systems: simplify the unnecessary and reinforce what compounds positively over time.
Shikho’s goal is not to supplant traditional schools but to provide stability in learning where institutions falter, ensuring consistency in an educational landscape prone to fragmentation. Chowdhury views this as a critical step in reshaping how knowledge circulates, bridging the urban-rural divide and expanding educational opportunities for all segments of society.
In a sector often characterized by rapid disruption, Chowdhury’s approach stands out for its deliberate and systematic approach to building a sustainable educational framework that serves everyone, emphasizing the importance of long-term structural improvements over quick fixes.