Primary Education in Bangladesh: A Comparative Assessment
Independent University, Bangladesh
ABSTRACT
When Bangladesh achieved its long-cherished independence in 1971, the literacy rate was only 17.61%. With the taking of some necessary initiatives, the rate gradually went up as it was 25.8 % in 1974, 29.2% in 1981, 35.3% in 1990 and 52.8% in 2000. The rate has increased by 0.9% per year from 1971 to 2000. In 2010, the literacy rate became 59.82%. However, despite this phenomenal growth, the country’s overall condition in terms of education is still falling behind in comparison to the same-age countries like Malaysia. One of the key factors for this is the lack of a comprehensive education policy while the other would be the inadequacy and incoherence within multiple streams in the primary education sector. In order to address this issue, a comprehensive study is required, which is not readily available. Using a triangulation between qualitative and quantitative techniques this study attempts to fill this gap with a particular focus on the comparison within different streams of primary education of which no reliable data is still available for some of the categories.
KEYWORDS
Bangladesh, English Medium, Primary Education, Policy, Qaomi Madrasa