Education related NEWS and updates : Bangladesh

[TopCat]

Most of the schools in the villages were started with private initiative, and upon small plots of land donated by someone. So, most of the schools lack not only facilities like a field, a gymnasium, but even the space to accomodate class rooms. Many schools are even without proper roofs.

With the ongoing economic development of the country, the govt is now able to increase the collection of taxes, a part of which, if used in the construction of new school buildings, will certainly help develop the education because the new buildings will allow a larger enrollment of students. I appreciate the govt 's latest initiative.

In new education policy the primary level education will be up to 8th standard. So there must be a massive reconstruction of existing facilities but will take a very long time to get implemented.

 

[eastwatch]

In new education policy the primary level education will be up to 8th standard. So there must be a massive reconstruction of existing facilities but will take a very long time to get implemented.

Usually, the primary education in the developed countries is 6 yrs, secondary 3 yrs, higher secondary 3 yrs, and tertiary 4 yrs. In total, it is 16 yrs and a few yrs more in case of medicine.

So, what is the point of making 8 yrs of primary education in BD? Is it true that the govt wants to introduce a comulsory education system whereby all BD children must complete an eight years of primary schooling. It is good if this is the intention of govt. Otherwise, I do not find any logic behind the change.

 

[TopCat]

Usually, the primary education in the developed countries is 6 yrs, secondary 3 yrs, higher secondary 3 yrs, and tertiary 4 yrs. In total, it is 16 yrs and a few yrs more in case of medicine.

So, what is the point of making 8 yrs of primary education in BD? Is it true that the govt wants to introduce a comulsory education system whereby all BD children must complete an eight years of primary schooling. It is good if this is the intention of govt. Otherwise, I do not find any logic behind the change.

There is a massive dropout from primary to secondary transition period. So what government wants is to keep the children up to 8th grade in the primary level education. Also most of the primary school are in the the neighbourhood which are very convenient for the poor familly to keep sending their children to the school.

 

[CaPtAiN_pLaNeT]

Tejgaon Textile College will turn into university soon: Nahid

Saturday, 04 September 2010 21:02

Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS)

Tejgaon Textile College will turn into university soon: Nahid

DHAKA, Sept 3 (BSS)- Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid here today said Tejgaon Textile College will be turned into university soon.

He said the bill of the university would be placed in the first week of next session of the parliament, which will start on September 20.

The Cabinet and the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Education have already approved the bill, Nahid said.

He said this while he was talking to the journalists after visiting the online admission test at city's Agargaon Women Polytechnic Institute.

About 70,000 workers is working in our garment Industries, the Education Minister said, adding that the government has decided to turn the Textile College into university to fulfill the demand of skill workers.

Nahid said the technical education institutions of the country were neglected for long time. In this regard the present government is working to change the situation, he added.

The construction work of 25 including four women polytechnic institutions has already been started, he said.

Besides, the government decided to establish technical schools at every upazila of the country, Nahid said.

About the first ever online admission test in the country, the education minister said, the government has taken the initiative to ease the examination process and to assure the utilization of technology in every sector.

Nahid said the all education institutions would come under the technology to reduce extortion and politicization in the admission test.

Besides, National University will open six branches at six divisions for the students, he added.

Directorate of Technical Education Director General Professor Dr Nitai Chandra Sutradhar and Bangladesh Technical Education Board Chairman Professor Abul Kashem accompanied the education minister.

Meanwhile, a total of 33,642 students appeared the admission test across the country.

 

[CaPtAiN_pLaNeT]

Most schools miss basics

Survey on 512 schools reveals the institutions lack environment for education
Wasim Bin Habib

A countrywide sample survey targeting 512 schools found shabby buildings, noisy environment and surroundings posing threat to mental health of students to be common features of most of the institutions.

The survey, all done by children, also reveals teachers at majority of schools inflict physical and mental tortures on students despite the government ban on corporal punishment at educational institutions.

Besides, a significant number of female students fall prey to stalking, which is often a reason behind their quitting school and early marriage.

Assisted by Save the Children Australia, the draft report was prepared by Child Parliament, a national-level children organisation.

The survey was conducted among 1,024 students of 512 government and private primary and secondary schools and madrasas in 64 districts this year.

“The survey shows a dismal picture of education,” said Sultan Mahmud, country director of Save the Children Australia in Bangladesh. "It reminds that ensuring school governance is not enough. Child-friendly educational environment is also very important for the proper growth of kids."

He said, the children, who conducted the survey, will finalise the report accommodating suggestions from educationists and civil society members and place it before the education minister. "We need to listen to the children how they think of the solution.”

WORRYING FACTS
The surveyors found walls and roofs at 86 percent of targeted institutions damaged. Compounds of 81 percent schools are waterlogged when it rains and floodwater enters into 89 percent of schools.

Around two thirds of the schools are located by bustling streets and students are exposed to severe sound and air pollution. Noise from roads distracts kids' attention from lessons.

Over 27 percent schools have no boundaries and 21 percent schools are without gates, the report mentions.

Around seven percent schools are located close to cinemas. The vulgar images on movie posters corrupt adolescent mind.

There are video shops near almost 27 percent schools, it says.

Around 68 percent students said they are often tortured by schoolteachers.

Around 62 percent female students say they face or remain at risk of stalking while around 54 percent female students fall victim to pestering on the roads and near the schools.

Three fourths of the students in those schools take lessons from private tutors and coaching centres, the report says.

Around 46 percent respondents say teachers encourage them to buy guidebooks.

The report shows around 74 percent teachers use mobile phones during class hours.

Only 50 percent schools have first aid measures and 14 percent institutions have health check-up facility.

The report also shows children of *** workers suffer mental torture by teachers while the children from tea garden experience otherness.

The report also came up with recommendations including taking immediate measures about the schools located by busy roads and moving the video shops, cinemas.

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=153682

 

[bd_4_ever]

A request to the MODS

This education thread is expected to grow in time like the economy and military thread, as lots of other news will be upcoming. I, therefore, request to make it a sticky thread. Thank you in anticipation....


Cheers!!!

 

[bd_4_ever]

This is a good research work done on "Bangladeshi girls choosing science, technology, engineering, science subjects" and the various vital factors related to it....a bit old, but still posting it....

http://www.cfbt.com/evidenceforeducation/pdf/BangladeshiGirls%28R)_v7.pdf


Cheers!!!

 

[CaPtAiN_pLaNeT]

University students to get IT connectivity, e-library

Tuesday, 07 September 2010 00:31

Front Page

University students to get IT connectivity, e-library
Ershad Kamol

From next January, all the public universities and a few selected private universities would have high speed internet connectivity, e-lab facilities and a huge fund for improvement of skills of the faculties and researchers.

‘Already we have got clearance for providing high speed broadband connectivity and development of e-labs,’ said University Grants Commission chairman Nazrul Islam.

More than 700 preliminary proposals for researches and improvement of the faculties under Academic Innovation Fund submitted by different entities of 31 universities were submitted, of which 550 are now under evaluation for final approval, he said.

He further said that all these programmes would start functioning from next January.

All these facilities would be provided by UGC under a Tk 681 crore Higher Education Quality Enhancement Project, funded by the World Bank.

Nazrul Islam informed that Tk 372 crore has been earmarked for Academic Innovation Fund and Tk 250 crore for information technology and e-library development.

The fund allocation for each AIF project is expected to be between Tk 21 lakh and Tk seven crore.

Rest of the money would be spent for development of UGC and training programmes for the project, he said.

‘All the public universities and a few selected quality private universities complying with the conditions of Private University Act would be considered for such support, said Nazrul.

But the selected private universities would have to contribute 20 per cent of the project cost while the public universities would not require to contribute any fund.

‘The idea is good’, said Prof Muzaffer Ahmed, ‘but the outcome depends on execution and effective utilisation of funds and proper monitoring’.

Sharing his bitter experience from such a project at Dhaka University, Prof Muzaffer Ahmed said that for improvement of business education standard at Dhaka University, a few teachers were sent abroad for advanced training. But some of them did not come back.

‘Quality and creativity of the new faculties are very important factors. Training will never help to develop the skills of the faculties unless they are qualified and creative enough’, he added.

He further said, ‘Since political affiliation in every sector is a phenomenon in this country, it might be difficult to select the right faculties.’

Education minister Nurul Islam Nahid stressed the need for syllabus up-gradation and strong monitoring, saying, ‘It’s an eye opener initiatives in the country to emphasis on IT supported research-based activities, what is the core responsibility of the universities.’

‘Education is something that cannot be totally changed through such a programme... However, we are determined to improve the education system through successful implementation of such projects,’ he added.

 

[eastwatch]

High priority, grim reality

Wednesday, September 8, 2010
High priority, grim reality

Half the nation remains illiterate for poor planning, allocation, project-oriented approach; govt still eyes total literacy by 2014

Wasim Bin Habib Inadequate budgetary allocations for education, poor planning and irregularities have left almost half the country's population illiterate although governments in the last 39 years talked about giving utmost priority to the sector.

As the country observes International Literacy Day today, around 3.73 crore people between 11 and 45 years old are illiterate in Bangladesh, says non-formal education mapping report 2009.

The country marks this year's literacy day through events on the theme "Literacy and women's empowerment".

When Bangladesh became independent in 1971, the literacy rate was abysmal, 16.8 percent. Ever since, successive governments have allocated the highest budget to this sector but failed to bring any significant results.

As of 2009, the country's literacy rate has come up to 53 percent, says a Ministry of Primary and Mass Education report.

Against this backdrop, the government is launching two mega projects Basic Literacy and Continuing Education (BLCE) project-1 and 2 at a cost of around Tk 3,000 crore to fulfil its election pledge of eradicating illiteracy. The Bureau of Non-Formal Education (BNFE) under the primary and mass education ministry will implement the projects.

BNFE sources said the projects aim at providing basic and life-skills based education to the people who never enrolled in or dropped out from primary schools.

The BLCE-1 would be implemented in 61 districts with Tk 2,912 crore while the BLCE-2 in three hilly districts at a cost of Tk 50 crore.

Educationists, however, are quite sceptical about achieving the target by 2014 through these projects. They cited the example of failure of a previous similar project Total Literacy Movement (TLM).

The TLM was introduced in 1996 by the then Awami League government, but the BNP government cancelled in 2003 bringing allegations of irregularities and mismanagement.

State Minister for primary and mass education Motahar Hossain, however, said TLM was a success as it had pushed up literacy rate to 63 in 2002. As the BNP government had shut it down, the literacy rate fell.

He yesterday said, "Lack of budgetary allocations and longstanding shortcomings in the education system are responsible for the low rate of literacy."

The sector has been receiving budgetary allocation of around 2.5 percent of the GDP whereas Nepal allocates around 16 percent in this sector, he said, adding that with this allocation it is tough to implement literacy programmes properly.

Despite such scepticism, the government believes that the two projects would be able to eradicate illiteracy if all the stakeholders cooperated.

Officials concerned said the projects would be implemented in three phases through some selected non-government organisations while the deputy district commissioners would monitor those.

Around 1.16 crore people between 15 to 25 years will be given basic literacy course while 1.45 lakh technical education, said the officials.

Rezaul Quader, director general of BNFE, said the projects would start from January next and the field level activities would begin from June 2011.

"The projects are now awaiting approval of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council," he said, adding that the government would primarily fund the projects although it is looking for donors.

Rasheda K Choudhury, former education adviser to a caretaker government, said all the plans to improve literacy rate were not taken considering the socio-economic reality and whatever plans have been adopted only broadened the discrimination in the education system.

"The issue of literacy will have to be taken up as part of the mainstream education as it is not possible to remove the problem with project-based approach," said Rasheda, also the executive director of Campaign for Popular Education (CAMPE).

She observed that the government's activities regarding literacy became project based--which implies that the drive ends when the project life expires.

"The government needs to chalk out a long-term programme and implement it phase by phase," she said, adding that whatever steps the government takes have to be made public.

She said the central government would frame policy guideline, finance and monitor the programme but the local government bodies should deal with literacy.

 

[eastwatch]

Literacy for all still elusive
A half of people aged 7 years and above illiterate
Shahidul Islam Chowdhury

Literacy for all remains elusive as at least a half of the people aged seven years and above are still illiterate, according to experts. People in rural areas lag behind people living in urban areas in literacy rate and so do the females in comparison with the males.

In a faulty primary education system, the government and most of the non-governmental organisations are just chalking up the number of 鼠iterate・people without improving the quality and effectiveness of literacy, they said.

禅he rate of literacy has remained stagnant at 49 to 50 per cent as the primary education system is mismanaged and faulty,・Professor M Siddiqur Rahman of the Institute of Education and Research in Dhaka University told New Age on Tuesday.

People here generally become literate with government-run formal primary schools, he said. 禅he enrolment there is increasing. But the literacy rate is not increasing as the number of dropouts is also on the increase.・br> NGO-run non-formal schools, he said, are expected to play a significant role in making people literate. 腺ut most of such non-formal schools show a higher number of students on the records than the number of students they teach,・he said.

Most of the dropouts, in both formal and non-formal schools, generally fail to recall what they have learnt in schools if the remain out of schools for four to five years.

Literacy rate in the people aged seven years and above was 48.5 per cent in 2008, according to the Education Watch Report 2008, published by the Campaign for Popular Education, a coalition of NGOs working on primary education.

The CAMPE conducted its surveys based on a definition of literacy as the ability to write a letter. The literacy rate in the adults, 15 years and above, was 52.1 per cent in 2008.

About 23.5 per cent rural and 10.6 per cent urban households had no literate persons, the report said.

The government-run Bangladesh Bureau of statistics, however, claimed literacy rate in people aged seven years and above is 56 per cent, according to the Statistical Pocketbook 2009, published by the bureau.

About 48 per cent rural and 33 per cent urban people are still illiterate, according to the BBS statistics. About 41.6 per cent of the males and 47.3 per cent of the females are also illiterate.

A consistent 20-22 percentage point gap between urban and rural areas has been noticed in the literacy rates throughout the decade. On the other hand, gender gap reduced over time.

Of the 27 competencies tested, students on an average attained 16.1 competencies in 1998 which went up to 18.7 in 2008.

CAMPE痴 executive director Rasheda K Chowdhury said there was 蘇ardly any difference between the Education Watch and BBS statistics on the literacy situation. The literacy situation has been changing very slowly for several years, she told New Age on Sunday evening.

Article 17 of the constitution stipulated that the state will take up effective measure to remove illiteracy, establish a uniform, mass-oriented and universal system of education, extending free and compulsory education to the needs of society and procure properly trained and motivated citizens.

In its 2008 election manifesto, the Awami League pledged to ensure full enrolment in primary education by 2010 and to eliminate literacy by 2014.

Professor M Siddiqur Rahman said the authorities concerned needed to understand that attaining literacy was 創ot mere counting heads of persons enrolled in schools.・br> Most of the government authorities and non-governmental organisations are 阻ust counting heads・without ensuring quality basic literacy and developing skills, abilities and effectiveness, he said.

Experts said the government needed to focus on containing dropout rates, especially of female students, and ensure completion of the full learning cycle for attaining quality basic inclusive literacy for all, irrespective of gender and economic and social status.

Inclusive literacy needs to be responsive to the unique and special needs to help people set within a lifelong learning framework that provides opportunities and pathways from basic literacy to ongoing learning, they said.

They stressed the need for effective measures to create access to quality basic literacy which should include employment of quality teachers, appropriate curriculum and development of modern teaching methods and effective process for teachers・training.

Rasheda said the local government bodies need to be invested with the responsibilities to oversee the literacy programmes.

The government and several NGOs have taken up programmes to observe International Literacy Day as elsewhere today. The government has taken programmes to make 38 million illiterate people literate by 2014.

The state minister for primary and mass education, M Motahar Hossain, said the government was working out an action plan to start the literacy programme next year involving all to attain the goal.

糎e can certainly achieve the goal by this time as few other countries have done it within a short time,・he said.

 

[bd_4_ever]

Higher edn assured of monthly payment of teachers

Director General of secondary and higher education assured regular payment of monthly salaries of teachers, staffs, employee's non-government educational institutions within first week of month from October.

Prof. Md. Nomanur Rashid, DG SHE, while addressing an exchange of views programme on 'developing educational environment' at Barisal Government Girls School auditorium on Saturday afternoon, said this.

DG SHE also asked the teachers community to come forward in preventing religious fundamentalism, eve teasing, physical punishment of the students, compulsion on following religious dress code.

He also asked to form a 5-member learner's welfare committee with every educational institution to achieve those goals.

Heads of government and non-government educational institutions, education officials from six districts of Barisal division, attended the programme.

Nani Gopal Jaldas, deputy director SHE, presided over the function addressed by Prof. Bimol Krishna Majumdar, chairman, Barisal Education Board,Prof. Nani Gopal Das, principal Barisal B M College, and others.

The New Nation - Internet Edition

 

[eastwatch]

30,712 pry asst teachers picked | Bangladesh | bdnews24.com

30,712 primary asst teachers picked
Wed, Sep 8th, 2010 7:08 pm

Dhaka, Sep 8 (bdnews24.com)—The government has selected 30,712 assistant teachers and 1,852 headmasters for appointment to primary schools.

The primary education ministry published the final results of the examinations on Wednesday, Rabindranath Roy, the public relations officer of the ministry of primary and mass education ministry, told bdnews24.com.

The results can be accessed on the Directorate of Primary Education (Directorate of Primary Education, Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh) and bdnews24.com websites.

The selected assistant teachers and headmasters are to join work on Sep 23, DPE director Mahbubun Nahar told bdnews24.com.

Altogether 8,72,568 candidates took the written tests for the assistant teachers on Jan 8 this year, of whom 1,33,707 passed. The oral exams were administered on June 15-30 and 30,712 have been finally selected for the key posts.

As many as 6,566 candidates among a total of 78,656 aspirants who took the Sep 11, 2009 written tests emerged successful for the head teacher's job.

 

[akash57]

SLIIT expands network to Jaffna, Bangladesh

The Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT) will soon expand the institute’s network to Bangladesh.

SLIIT will also venture to Jaffna, where a state-of-the-art facility will be inaugurated to provide ample academic opportunities for students in the region.

SLIIT Chairman, Professor S Karunaratne said they will introduce programs which will enable Bangladeshi and foreign students the opportunity of studying in Sri Lanka as well.

This marks a significant step towards strengthening academic ties between the relevant countries, providing broader scope for students and creating a space for further development and innovation where highly skilled professionals will be produced to cater to challenging industry demands.”

“Bangladesh serves as an ideal backdrop for expansion, especially for Business and IT-related fields. Our vision is to be among the top 10 universities in the South Asian region within the next decade,” SLIIT President and CEO Prof Lalith Gamage said.

SLIIT will establish a branch in Jaffna, which is to be located in the heart of the city.

Well-qualified lecturers, mainly from Jaffna, will facilitate student learning at the campus, and students will have the option of transferring to one of SLIIT’s many branches or foreign universities to complete the final two years of their degree. “With the increasing capacity for development which Jaffna presents, it is now the ideal time to contribute towards that development by providing academic opportunities which will benefit the community and aid in regenerating the North,” Prof Gamage said.

Sri Lanka Business News | Online edition of Daily News - Lakehouse Newspapers

 

[eastwatch]

South Asian Media Net

Model schools in 306 upazilas
Tuesday, October 19,2010

DHAKA: The government has taken up a Tk 465.77 crore project to convert 306 non-government high schools into model institutions with one each in the upazilas having no public high school now.

The schools which now get government funds under its Monthly Payment Order (MPO) will come under the project to be implemented by fiscal 2013. And 100 of these schools will be converted this fiscal year, official sources said.

The project titled "Transformation of existing non-government schools into model schools in 306 selected upazilas" is aimed at minimising the wide urban-rural gap in the quality of education by ensuring standard education for the rural students.

There are 74 lakh students of high schools in the country with two-thirds of them in rural parts. The new project will benefit at least two lakh students.

The country now has 317 public high schools with limited seats.

The Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE) has already finalised a list of 306 schools based on their reputation, results, location and state of school management, said KM Rafiqul Islam, the project director.

Each of the schools under the project will get computer laboratories, 10 computers, accessories and one xerox machine, furniture worth around Tk 5 lakh; books worth around Tk 1 lakh, science equipment of Tk 2 lakh, and sports goods of Tk 50,000.

In addition to physical facilities like buildings, new classrooms, repair, renovation and extension of the schools, more teachers having master's degree would be recruited and teaching aids would be provided. More than Tk 1.40 crore each will be spent for schools.

"We want to ensure one teacher for 40 students in these schools," Rafiqul Islam said.

Besides, resource centres in nine regions of the DSHE will be developed under the project for teachers' training.

Education ministry sources said the project was initiated by the immediate past caretaker government. But it got stuck up due to bureaucratic tangles.

The present government resumed the project.

Contacted, Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid expressed the hope that the project would have a positive impact on the overall standard of education.

 

[Skies]

Speech by Ellen Goldstein, Country Director, The World Bank Dhaka at the Report Launch of 'Secondary School Madrasas in Bangladesh: Incidence, Quality, and Implications for Reform'

Publication: ENP Newswire
Date: Wednesday, August 11 2010


Honorable Minister for Education, Mr. Nurul Islam Nahid:

Mr. Asahabur Rahman

Dr. Niaz Asadullah

Friends from the media

Ladies and Gentlemen




Welcome to the launching of the report 'Secondary School Madrasas in Bangladesh: Incidence, Quality, and Implications for Reform'.

Let me take this opportunity to convey my deep gratitude to the Honorable Minister for Education for honoring us with his presence as Chief Guest today.

Bangladesh has made tremendous progress in the last two decades in increasing enrollments and gender parity in primary and secondary education. Indeed, the country has already achieved the Millennium Development Goal for gender parity in primary and secondary schooling. This progress has been achieved along with a significant reduction in poverty, despite the country's capacity constraints and high vulnerability to natural calamities. Nonetheless, the quality of education and access to education remain challenges for many in Bangladesh, particularly in remote rural areas.

Bangladesh has a history of innovative reforms that have helped bring madrasa schools into the mainstream of the education system. This pragmatic approach has set Bangladesh apart among the countries of South Asia and elsewhere, and contributed significantly to overall progress in recent years.

Let me say a few words about analytic work on the madrasa sector that has been supported by the World Bank over the years in collaboration with academic researchers. Past research has helped document unique characteristics of the Bangladeshi registered madrasa system, and how it has contributed to progress toward MDG targets. We have studied the success of the teacher salary subsidy scheme and the 'Female Secondary School Assistance Program (FSSAP)' in encouraging registered madrasas to broaden their curriculum and become coeducational schools.

More recently, gaps in knowledge were identified with respect to the magnitude of the registered and unregistered madrasa sector, and the quality of educational outcomes. Therefore, the World Bank sponsored this study on the Quality of Secondary School Madrasa Education in Bangladesh. It is the first-ever detailed, nationally-representative analysis of secondary madrasas, and will help inform policy decisions related to secondary education across all institutions. The study is based on large-scale field-based investigation over the last 5 years, and combines data on educational institutions, teachers, students, households, parents and children from multiple sources including a census of primary and secondary schools, a survey of secondary schools, and a household census and survey.

The report focuses on two main issues: the incidence of madrasas, and the quality of learning outcomes in madrasas. The main empirical findings are that state-registered madrasas account for nearly 19 percent of secondary enrolments, while unregistered madrasas account for only 2 percent. We see that one in every five secondary students is enrolled at a madrasa, so it is an important sector in any discussion of education policy in Bangladesh.

The study used testing to assess learning outcomes in Mathematics, English, general knowledge and Islamic studies. Children in state-registered madrasas scored statistically-significantly lower on Mathematics and English than children in non-madrasa schools. This raises a concern for madrasas, but it is also important to recognize that scores were low across all types of institutions, suggesting an across-the-board need to focus on improving the quality of secondary education.

The study also highlights the persistence of a gender gap in the quality of learning outcomes in all types of institutions. This gender gap is greater, however, in madrasas than in other types of schools. So while madrasas have played a very important role in improving gender parity in enrollments, the challenge now is to enhance the quality of outcomes for girls in particular.

In any country in the world, discussions about the role of the state and the role of organized religion in educating children can be contentious, often generating more heat than light. I hope that the empirical data and analysis presented in this study shed real light on an important sector, and help to anchor the debate about reform of secondary education in the metrics of learning outcomes. It is, after all, the results that matter. For this reason-and as documented in this study-our joint efforts going forward should focus on improving learning outcomes for boys and girls across all institutions.

Thank you.

[Editorial queries for this story should be sent to newswire@enpublishing.co.uk ]