Current Conditions: Education

Education is a High Priority
Education is fundamental to the development of Bangladesh. The Government has placed a high priority on it, particularly at the primary school level. Although official education statistics are unreliable, substantial progress has been made over the last 20 years. Enrollments have increased, the gender balance has improved, and public spending on education has expanded.

Daunting Challenges for a Growing Population

• Among those who enter primary school, only 76% complete it. It takes them an average of 6.6 years to do so.
• Six percent of children do not enroll, and 25% of those who do drop out. That means 30% of Bangladeshi children do not have a primary school education.
• The average achievement level of primary school graduates is the 2nd grade.
• Repetition and dropout rates remain unacceptably high, especially for children living in poverty and children from minority families.
• The student/teacher ratio is 60 to 1, among the worst in Asia.
• Average student/teacher contact time is 2.5 hours per day, one of the lowest rates in the world.

While the Government has increased funding for education, the expenditure per pupil remains very low. Teachers are poorly trained and paid. In many cases, they are not working up to their capabilities, nor to government-set standards. Teaching methods and materials are generally sub-standard, especially in government schools. Schools are in poor condition and detrimental to learning.

System in Need of Reform
The education system is badly in need of reform. The autocratic, centralized and top down approach that persists stifles innovation. Corruption in the system and cheating on exams by teachers under pressure from officials and parents are widespread. Officially available grade and competency levels are probably inflated. At the local level, community and official support for schools is very poor. Only 15% of school management committees are active, and less than 50% of primary schools have parent-teacher associations.

Early Childhood Education Receives Little Attention
Parents and communities do not prepare children well for school, and preschools have not yet caught on. Informal "baby classes" have been created at many government schools as a response to younger siblings following older siblings to school. However, lack of equipment and a curriculum make them inappropriate early learning environments.

There are an estimated 9 million children aged 3-6 in Bangladesh. Although the most recent Government plans include preschool classes in 80% of government schools by 2015, early childhood development has received little attention. Due to severe budget and capacity constraints, it is not currently a government priority. For that reason, it is also not a donor priority, with a few exceptions. Most existing early childhood programs are provided through NGOs working with communities. Despite commendable efforts by the NGO community, the coverage of existing early childhood programs remains limited. While the quality varies, most observers feel there is substantial room for improvement.

In sum, far from making inroads on the country's educational deficit, the current education system continues to add to it, year after year.

USAID's Response