Female students are equally advancing with their male counterparts as the government is gradually widening stipends for promoting girls education in the country, experts said. As providing stipend has produced very impressive outcome for promoting girls education, it has been expanded up to degree level to help female students continue their studies, they added.
Bangladesh has achieved impressive progress in ensuring access to and attaining gender parity at the primary and secondary levels as a result of sincere efforts made by government and non-government actors, the education campaigners added.
Rasheda K Choudhury, Executive Director of Campaign for Popular Education (CAMPE), said, “Affirmative action and strong political will are key factors for advancing girls’ education across the country.” The government is providing stipends to girl students at the secondary level, which is encouraging them to continue their studies, she added. Alongside the government’s initiatives, NGOs and non-government actors are also making good contribution to promoting female education through creating awareness and motivating the people, Rasheda added. Although girl education has advanced at primary and secondary levels, the number of female students is still low at higher education level compared to their male counterparts, she added.
Rasheda blamed patriarchal mindset and trend of early marriage for lower rate of female education at the tertiary level. “We should change our mindset at the family level at first to promote female education at higher education level. A social movement is needed to stop early marriage as this menace ruins the bright future of many adolescent girls,” she added. Md Alamgir, Secretary of Technical and Madrasah Division, attributed advancement of female education at both primary and secondary levels to providing stipends and giving special attention to English, Mathematics and Science education through meritorious teachers.
He observed that guardians are eager to send their both male and female children to schools to make them worthy citizens of the country. The number of female students at higher education has increased significantly; Dr Alamgir said adding, “Now the percentage of female students at higher education is 45 percent.”
He said, “A significant change has been brought in expansion of female education in the country as the government has made various facilities including financial assistances to boost female education.” Now both male and female students are equally advancing in the education sector, he also added.
