Child Education: perspective Bangladesh

Child education is a crucial issue for the development of Bangladesh, a country with a large population of young people. According to UNICEF¹, Bangladesh faces a number of challenges in providing accessible and quality education to all children and adolescents. Some of these challenges are:

- Only 19 per cent of children aged 3-5 attend an early childhood education programme.

- Only 64 per cent of children go on to complete secondary education.

- The poorest children, children with disabilities and children living in disaster-affected parts of the country are most at risk of being excluded from school.

- Many children who do attend school struggle to acquire basic academic skills.

- The COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated the barriers to education as children faced one of the longest school closures in the world.

UNICEF is working with the Government of Bangladesh to build a robust education system that is inclusive, relevant and accessible, focusing on three priority areas: early learning, quality inclusive primary education and skills development for adolescents¹.

According to the Bangladesh Education Fact Sheets 2020², based on the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2019, some of the key findings on child education are:

- The net attendance rate (NAR) for pre-primary education is 36.4 per cent, with significant disparities by wealth quintile, location and disability status.

- The NAR for primary education is 90.9 per cent, with no significant gender gap, but lower rates for children from the poorest households, rural areas and those with disabilities.

- The NAR for secondary education is 62.4 per cent, with higher rates for girls than boys, but lower rates for children from the poorest households, rural areas and those with disabilities.

- The completion rate for primary education is 80.7 per cent, with higher rates for girls than boys, but lower rates for children from the poorest households, rural areas and those with disabilities.

- The completion rate for secondary education is 50.8 per cent, with higher rates for girls than boys, but lower rates for children from the poorest households, rural areas and those with disabilities.

- The literacy rate for children aged 7-14 years is 87.5 per cent, with higher rates for girls than boys, but lower rates for children from the poorest households, rural areas and those with disabilities.

- The numeracy rate for children aged 7-14 years is 83.9 per cent, with higher rates for girls than boys, but lower rates for children from the poorest households, rural areas and those with disabilities.

The fact sheets also provide detailed data on various indicators of child education by administrative divisions, districts and upazilas².

According to Humanium³, an NGO that advocates for children's rights, some of the factors that hinder child education in Bangladesh are:

- Poverty: Many families cannot afford the indirect costs of education such as uniforms, books and transportation. Many children have to work to support their families or take care of their siblings or household chores.

- Child marriage: Bangladesh has one of the highest rates of child marriage in the world, especially among girls. Married girls are often forced to drop out of school and face early pregnancy and domestic violence.

- Child labour: Bangladesh has millions of child labourers who work in hazardous conditions such as factories, farms, mines and domestic service. Child labour deprives children of their right to education and exposes them to exploitation and abuse.

- Natural disasters: Bangladesh is prone to floods, cyclones, landslides and droughts that disrupt the lives and livelihoods of millions of people. Natural disasters damage schools and infrastructure, displace families and increase poverty and vulnerability.

- Lack of quality: Many schools in Bangladesh lack adequate facilities, resources and teachers. The curriculum is often outdated and irrelevant to the needs and interests of the students. The teaching methods are often rote-based and exam-oriented. The learning outcomes are often poor and do not equip students with the skills and competencies they need for life and work.

Humanium suggests some possible solutions to improve child education in Bangladesh such as:

- Increasing public investment in education and ensuring equitable allocation of resources

- Expanding access to early childhood education and ensuring its quality and relevance

- Promoting inclusive education that respects diversity and caters to the needs of all learners

- Strengthening teacher training and professional development

- Reforming curriculum and assessment to foster critical thinking, creativity and problem-solving skills

- Enhancing parental involvement and community participation in education

- Raising awareness on the importance of education and its benefits for individuals and society

- Enforcing laws and policies that protect children from child marriage, child labour and other forms of violence

- Improving disaster risk reduction and resilience in the education sector

Courtesy By : Md. Younus Ali

Gmail: alimdyounusali80@gmail.com