Md Bayazid Khan :
Bangladesh has made rapid envious progress in primary education especially in the areas of access, equity and internal efficiency (reducing dropout & repetition, increasing completion of primary education cycle). But the most significant setback for children in primary schools is quality of education, which leads to low-learning outcomes and absence of functional learning. This eventually increases dropout in primary tier as well as reduce primary graduates’ transition to secondary education. Primary education is still facing challenges regarding lack of quality and functional learning by children and around 4.6 million children of primary school age are not pursuing their education despite government massive investment and attention in this sector. Primary education in the country enriched nowadays with adequate qualified and trained teachers. Beside, schools are ensuring of child friendly school environment by constructing new buildings/additional classrooms, separate wash blocks for boys & girls, boundary wall and providing playing accessories, multimedia projector, learning materials etc. Moreover, schools have been supporting with money to implement school level improvement plan alongside with bearing expenses regarding decoration of pre-primary classroom, repair of furniture/classrooms/toilets/water sources etc every year. On the other hand, primary schools students all around the country are providing with stipend and multi-color books with free of cost and high protein biscuits & mid-day hot meal to some selected upazilas. Despite of having aforesaid facilities still the sector has been facing difficulties such as overcrowded classrooms, inadequate desk-benches, insufficient contact hour due to huge number of double-shift schools, malnutrition among children, lack of commitment among teachers in imparting qualitative and child-centered teaching, lack of accountability regarding teachers’ timely arrival & departure, absence of effective academic supervision by supervisory authorities, irregular attendance by underprivileged students, absence of learning atmosphere at home etc. All of above-mentioned hindrances affect severely to provide qualitative and functional learning to entire primary schools students.
The government is grappling for providing quality primary education to entire students and creating equitable access to pursue basic education to out of school and dropped out children. Regarding this, the government is mainstreaming pre-primary and primary education and spending huge amount of money every year for ensuring child-friendly school environment and teachers’ professional development.
Research shows that quality and commitment of teachers is a major detriment to children’s learning and well-being. The country has significant numbers of well-qualified and trained teachers but most of them have absence of commitment in performing their duties as missionaries. For providing quality learning to children the government should show zero tolerance regarding teachers’ commitment to imparting quality teaching, timely start and finish of daily lessons by any means, ensure supervisory officers’ active role in improving teachers’ professional development through intensive academic supervision, make and implement need based policy for teachers’ posting & transfer emphasizing priority to school and children’s interests.
So, instead of contributing through donors’ pool under primary education development program, NGOs and international agencies have limited areas to work directly for improving primary education through launching discrete projects. The following areas may consider working discretely by NGOs.
NGOs may work with underprivileged/nomadic children, children with disabilities, children in remote areas or vulnerable areas affected by natural disasters etc those who are often denying their right to education regarding ensure their access to basic education. Children who left out from government run “Out of school children education program” might be considered for bringing under benefit.
Considering pivotal earning sources to meet necessity of family’s demand of working or slum or nomadic children, NGOs may work for continuing their education and earning simultaneously. They may be ensured attachment to respective workplaces with the agreement with employers to complete children’s skill development process in an interested discipline within stipulated time and ensure their appointment after successful completion of skill attainment. Meanwhile they might be provided with monthly stipend as immediate compensatory. Education program with flexible timetable comfortable to children may introduce for them (who are excluded from government run out of school children education program) providing them with food, school uniform, pen/notebook etc. Developing database of these children may become helpful for continuing their learning even they transfer to another place for living.
NGOs may launch “Supportive Learning Center (SLC)” for children who don’t have convenient learning environment at home regards to clarify understandings of daily lessons as well as help them to prepare homework for next days lessons. The program may contribute to strengthen children’s functional learning too. SLCs may run before or after scheduled timetable.
NGOs may work for ensuring of timely start and finish of daily teaching-learning activities at remote or hard to reach areas schools providing transport or logistic support to teachers. They may arrange cost effective “Teacher Boat” for haor/char areas or “Teacher Vehicle” for hilly areas/tea gardens or “Teacher Hostel” regarding this.
Bullying is detrimental to development of children. Girls, children with disabilities, children of underprivileged or vulnerable or ethnic minority families may become the victims of verbal or physical or social bullying at schools. NGOs may work to raise awareness among teachers, parents and students so that this awful behaviour can never take place at schools.
(Mr. Baizid works for primary education in Bangladesh. Email: [email protected])
