Commercial Education

Commercial Education a process of imparting knowledge and skills suitable for office jobs for typists, stenos, file clerks, receptionists, record keepers, book keepers, account assistants, telephone operators, and office secretaries. It was started first in British India in 1886 in Madras. In Bengal commercial education was started in 1895, when a school of commerce was established in calcutta. The presidency college introduced commercial studies in 1903. The Government Commercial Institute was established in 1905.

By 1946-47, the number of private commercial schools in British India increased to 315, including 17 in Bengal. The Commercial Education Committee, set up after independence of Pakistan in 1947, stressed on the graduation of skilled office workers. By 1967, sixteen government commercial institutes were set up, one in each of the old district headquarters excepting in Chittagong Hill Tracts, for offering education and training leading to certificates and diplomas in commerce.

After independence of Bangladesh in 1971, the commercial education curriculum was modified. The Diploma in Commerce has been made equivalent to Higher Secondary Certificate since 1973. In January 1984, the administrative control over the commercial institutes were transferred from the Directorate of Technical Education to the Secondary and Higher education Directorate. With the growing importance of business activities, commercial education has become popular and the demand for commerce graduates is gradually increasing. In 1996-97, the number of students rose to 2,987. Realising its importance, the government initiated a project in 1993 for development of institutions of commercial education with modern facilities. [Md Shamsul Hoque Mian]