Nur Ahmed :
The whole world is in turmoil at present because of the terrible effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. All the sectors have collapsed. The education sector has been hit the hardest by this global pandemic. UNESCO reported that about 1.6 billion students around the world have been affected. And at least one billion students have been severely affected. At least 40 million children have been deprived of pre-primary education. Due to this pandemic, the condition of education in Bangladesh is dilapidated.
A study conducted by PPRC and BIGD found that about 3.4 million students dropped out at primary level and 2.5 million at secondary level due to the Corona pandemic. The study found that at least 19 percent of primary and 25 per cent of secondary level students were severely affected by the inability to participate in educational activities. Due to various obstacles, 97.7 percent of the students could not participate in the online distance learning activities. The initiatives that have been taken to keep the students active in their studies are television, online, radio and mobile phones. It is true that this has opened the door to the possibilities of digital learning process, but the hard reality is that this door has not been opened for everyone. In our country teaching in educational institutions is a traditional system and the reality is that in spite of digital development all our students could not avail it.
Experts have identified some consequences of the long time closure of all type of educational institutes. First, at the primary level, the dropout rate was around 40 percent in 2009, but it was reduced to about 16 percent. But the dropout rate would have risen further during the prolong Covid-19 period. Note worthily, the dropout rate in Bangladesh remains too high for secondary (37.60 per cent) and post-secondary education (19.60 per cent), consistent with BANBEIS. Second, there is a risk of increased child labor. It is now seen that a large number of people are employing their children in child labor due to income and food security risks. Thirdly, the rate of child marriage has also increased due to the adverse effects of corona. In this case, the students of secondary and higher secondary level are at high risk. Fourth, malnutrition may increase. Bangladesh is also one of the leading countries in malnutrition. The risk could be exacerbated by the Corona pandemic.
Thus, the loss in schooling hours is not the only impact looming out from the Covid-19 crisis. On top of learning, schools also are an important source of social protection, nutrition, health as well as psychosocial support to children and young adults. Therefore, on top of loss in learning, school closures have far-reaching impacts on social and economic issues like school dropouts, digital divide, food insecurity and malnutrition, childcare, as well as disability services.
It is no doubt that in future a generation is going to face an alarming situation in terms of their education skill and psychological disorder. They may be a burden for our society after the pandemic. A huge challenge is coming ahead. We need to prepare to face the challenges. Though experts have suggested various ways to cope this situation however, widely setting up of market oriented vocational education or short term semi skill training education on different trade courses like automobile, Electronics, Industrial Sewing, Computer Applications, Garments Machine Mechanics, Internet, Electrical House Wiring, Fan-Motor Rewinding, Computer Graphics, Dress Making & Tailoring, Computer Hardware and Networking, Industrial Electrical Wiring (Residential and Non-Residential), Basic Electrical (Residential), Solar Home System Management, etc could be a effective solution to place those millions of drop out students. Their job placement needs also to be ensured. This could be an effective measure for the millions of unemployed dropout students. Then they will be our resource and we would be able to utilize our population dividend for development of our country.
To combat the challenges and to implement the proposed suggestion a stronger collaboration is needed among the Government, NGOs and development partners. However, the government needs to take the lead in steering up from this crisis. If appropriate measures are not taken now, we all have to pay a higher cost for a lost generation.
(Nur Ahmed is Organizational Development Adviser, Lichtbrückee.V., Germany in Bangladesh).
