Quest for Quality Primary Education in Bangladesh

Quest for Quality Primary Education in Bangladesh

Mohammad Shahidullah

AUEO, Moheshkhali,

Coxsbazar.

Bangladesh has achieved some level of quality in Primary Education arena. At present, all related bodies of the sector at both home and abroad, recognize the achievement done by the country. Primary Education is the constitutional right of a child. The government is committed to implement the pledges and agreement signed with the International organizations for ensuring education for all. UNO, UNESCO, UNICEF and other international organizations and donor agencies closely monitor the primary education and health related developmental programs of both developed and developing countries throughout the world. However, Bangladesh is one of those countries that run a vast Primary education department in the world. Quality primary education is the crying needs of the time throughout the world. Bangldesh government started to work for making the nation literate and educated just after independence, it achieved in 1971.The father of the nation Bangabandu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman made all the Primary schools (about 38,000) nationalized in a historic declaration on 01/07/10973. Since then, Bangladesh Primary Education Scenario has been being rapidly changed and has been entering into the age of Quality Primary Education with giving signals of success worldwide. The on going Primary Education Development Program (PEDP-111) has aimed at mainly to ensure quality education for all our children. But how far we are convinced about the quality primary education? Those who have been working and closely related with the sector are not satisfied with the question of quality education. I have been working and keenly observing, studying and following the thoughts and papers written on primary education for about 16 years. Here in this article, I would like to mention some points why we can’t be satisfied with quality education point of view throughout the country, giving a brief description of mine, working at five upazila with primary education.

1.Primary Education Scenario of Derai Upazila (Sunamgonj): Derai Upazila is situated at Sunamgomj district of Sylhet Division. It is an area of Haor, which undergoes water for about 10 months in each year. Since the mid-March to October, the Upazila remains in such conditions. The remaining 2 months is the dry season of the area.  There is no vehicle except Shallow Engine Boat to move around Primary Schools throughout the Upazila. As the whole area is almost Haor-Centered, people live on the banks of the Haor and the schools also have been built up on the banks. Most of the people of the Upazila are poor fishermen and they live on fishing and agriculture. During dry season, there is no alternative, but walking. One has to movefrom one place to another on foot at that time almost everywhere at the Upazila. Aristocrats and rich men of the upazila stay in London, Dhaka, Sylhet City and Chittagong. The famous and veteran parliamentarian Mr. Suranjit Sen Gupta is the Long-term MP of Derai-Sulla Constituency. He is one of the prominent national leader of our country, who has been actively contributing in law making at our National Assembly. As I am writing here about the Primary Education Scenario of the Derai Upazila, when I had worked there as an AUEO since 22/06/2000 to 28/10/1003. There are about 150 primary schools and around 600 teachers have been working at the upazila. In the most of the schools have only 3 to 4 teachers working there. The number of students almost at each and every primary school are around 40 to 100. Very few schools have more than 100 students at the primary schools of that upazila. The quality of primary education is very poor there. The quality of teachers also is not up-to-the-mark. In fact, it is quite difficult to maintain a minimum standarity and quality of Primary Education activities there, as this is a remote and hard to reach area. Most of the schools run only two to three hours daily. Teachers and students of the Primary schools of the upazila reach at schools at around 10.30 and the teaching-learning activities go on till 1.30 to 2.00; as they all have to come to schools by boat from surrounding localities. Only a few schools are regular and are led as usual, maintaining rules and regulations, those are near about upazila administration. After then, almost every school declares closed. The teachers who are not good and criminal-minded, I had tried to take stern action against them, but failed to do that, not having support from the higher authority. Here I can recall about a teacher named Jahanar Begum, who signed advanced in the attendance register remaining absence for 5 days. I sued him for this type of her crime, but she was given mercy by the then authority of the Upazila. Like the case many other teachers were accused of and got relaxed that way. That is why, quality of education there also so. Actually, the scenario of Hoar areas of the country is almost alike. I had worked there for about 4 years. As a new officer, I tried with utmost sincerity and dedication to discharge my duties and responsibilities in implementing government primary education programs. I traveled widely and inspected the primary schools of my Clusters widely and tried to correct the teachers and teaching-learning activities. But I was not satisfied at my services, as I couldn’t take the schools and teachers to the destination of having quality primary education. The authorities, Local administration, People Representatives and other social elites should give due importance to the primary schools and quality primary education of this upazila.

2.Primary Education Scenario of Rangunia Upazila (Chittagong): My experience of working in the primary education department of Rangunia upazila is comparatively good enough and sweet. I worked there for about 4 years (November, 2003 to August, 2007). There are about 1200 hundred teachers have been working at the primary schools and about 50,000 thousand students have been studying at the primary schools there. Among the working teachers at the primary schools of the upazila, Some are the best quality. They can do and face anything about primary education activities, both academic and non-academic. They are capable of teaching even in the High School and College levels, also. A number of teachers are academically highly qualified and competent enough. They are by and large, professionally committed. Some of the primary school teachers of Rangunia are so competent that they can be compared to any good teacher of the any other parts of the country.

3.Rajasthali Upazila (Rangamati) Primary Education Scenario: Rajasthali is in the hill district Rangamati nearby Kaptai Upazila. At that upazila, I had spent for long five and a half years. I had joined there as an AUEO on 05/08/20107 last and had worked till 12/02/2013. On 03/06/2008, I took the charge of UEO and continued to the last date on 12/02/2013.  I tried my best to prove me as a competent and good officer, working hard for implementing primary education programmers of the Bangladesh government. I travelled throughout the upazila widely and inspected each and every primary school. There are about 45 primary schools and about 200 hundred teachers working there at  Rajasthali upazila. At that upazila, I had worked independently as well as strongly. I had to face many problems, but came out of them smoothly. As an Officer for working at that upazila  primary education, my feelings is not satisfactory, because there I experienced adverse atmosphere of discharging my duties and  responsibilities. Since the geographical position of the area is hilly, I had to work with the risk of visible and invisible elements, who  are very active there. Since, at most of the schools having three or four teachers, the quality of teaching and learning were not up-to the mark. As most of the teachers are tribal and their educational qualification is below degree level, they are not competent enough as teachers. They can’t speak Bengali well and they use to speak in their own dialectics, they can’t use other languages. Students of that upazila are also same.

4.Chakaria Upazila (C0xsbazar) Primary Education Scenario: Chakaria is a large Upazila of Coxsbazar district. The Primary Education activities of that Upazila is also vast. There are 130 primary schools and about 1000 thousand teachers have been working there.  I worked at that upazila for a short period of time. There is enough number of teachers almost at every school of Chakaria and the quality teaching-learning is also up-to the mark. Most of the teachers are academically highly qualified and professionally committed as well as competent enough. If they become, a bit of more sincere and dedicated, they could do a lot for quality primary education. There are no lack of structure, Class rooms and furniture also. Though, I had worked for short span of time, I tried hard to work with all related with primary education there.

5.Moheshkhali Upazila Primary Education Scenario: There are about 72 government led Primary schools and about 470 teachers have been working here at this upazila, now. The number of students has been studying is about 55,000 thousands.The primary education activities encircling the students, ages from 5 to 14 years are quite a mammoth task. We, who are involved with the implementation process of government agenda; `Education for All’ and ensuring quality education for every student, all concerned have been working hard to achieve the targeted millennium development goals. The government has been running a special program; that is mid-day meals/school-feeding, giving biscuits for each and every student at this upazila. 90% of the students studying here at the primary schools use to get stipends. There are lots of problems here at Moheshkhali, in implementing primary level education programs properly. They are like; infrastructural, class-rooms, furniture, teachers, lack of mass awareness and guardians etc. I had worked here at Moheshkhali Upazila as an Upazila Education Officer (In-charge) till 28th September, 2014 from last 10^th November,2013. I have been working as an Assistant Upazila Education Officer of Primary Education level now. During my period, I discussed about the above problems with the local honorable MP, Upazila Chairman, UNO and other leaders and elites of the Upazila. They every one knows the problems of Primary Education sector and they are sincere enough to solve them.

My thinking and Observations on Primary Education: What to do for Quality Primary Education:

1. Teachers teaching qualities are not out of question: Teachers, working at the Government Primary schools avail a handsome salary, particularly after new National Pay Scale/2015. At least, none could deny that being at home, teachers have not been being paid so poor facilities. But from the very beginning of their job as teachers, they use to talk and express dissatisfaction about their salaries and other allowances. They often feel that they have been being deprived off according to their qualifications and what they deserved. It’s quite true that they have come to this profession, knowing all the conditions and facilities they would be provided. They also in lack of to be competent and professional enough. They are not studious and not well-versed on Primary education curriculum, Competency based curriculum, Textbooks, Topics and subject matters, teaching-learning techniques, Using and making materials, Classroom management, not skilled in conducting classes, Maintaining class routines, Time Management, Government Service Rules and Regulations and so on. They use to make them maintaining some formalities in day-to-days school works. They come and go to schools, but give the schools and students very little. Very few students have been being able to be competent enough after completing the six years of primary education circle all over Bangladesh. They are of that kind of personalities who are made deprived of what they are deserved. They use to talk and sit everywhere at shops and markets, but not with books and professional learning’s. They se to criticize recklessly against their authorities, rather than discharging their duties well. They would never admit their lickings, as though they are catholic than pope because they are teachers. It’s the demand of time that teachers must be made in classrooms and should be made up of academic mind-set. For this some kinds of penalties might be imposed.

2.  People aren’t fully aware of Education: Guardians and general people are yet to be fully education-oriented. They don’t bother well about their children’s regular school going and learning their lessons as well as making their children’s reading-learning-friendly atmosphere at homes. Where as it is a must for their children’s being good and development human beings, they are not being still supportive to them. This is a frustrating scenario in our country, where the whole world is going keep their foot steps into the age of high-tech.

3. Capacity of NCTB, NAPE, PTI and URC should be strengthened and autonomous: These are the National and field level Institutions engaged in making Officers and Teachers professionally competent and committed at Primary Education sector. These institutions should be made more strong, resourceful and capable of conducting training and other professional developmental needs of the related staffs and officers. They should be upgraded and autonomous to that level of BPATC, BIAM, BARD and so on. If needed experts from both home and abroad could be invited to be as guest speakers of Trainers to these institutions.

4. Academic trend should be prevailed at all levels of Authorities: From Higher Officers to local level Officers who have been serving here at Ministry and Directorate should be academic minded. We have been working for the children development and their educational development. To work for children is interesting and valuable for the nation. Here all the Officers should be children-friendly and should be helpful for them. In fact, leading and managerial duties are as usual, but working for child development and their education is different from others. So every level of authorities should be more serious on children’s educational development than other pieces of regular office works.

5. Teachers` Show downing of Politico-socio power and their lobbying: Some teachers, working at primary schools are so much skillful of showing down of local political and social power on their authorities that they don’t bother of government service rules and regulations as well as departmental orders and directions. They often remain busy with lobbying for their fellow clicks and own interest. There might be some bad officers, but not all officers are so. Teachers above kinds, always try to make each and every officer as bad elements. These types of officers and teachers should be rounded up sternly. All the officers and teachers should be processionals, clean, transparent and free of all kinds of corruptions. Upazila Education Offices and Upazila Accounts Offices should be transparent and smooth.

6. Lack of equal development of schools throughout the country: All the governments, both present and previous have been taking gigantic programs for the over all development primary education as well as implementing them giving due priority on the sector. By all respect these activities should go on equally throughout the country. In fact, this has not been done. Somewhere development works of school buildings, providing required number of furniture, recruiting teachers, ensuring sanitary facilities have been done enough, somewhere they are excess and somewhere they are quite poor. The concern authorities should scrutinize and made priority list of developmental works and inequality of that must be minimized.

7. Speed-up the role MOPME and Higher Authorities: There are lots of problems among the serving officers under the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education and its attached departments and offices. Particularly, from Deputy Directors to field level officers AUEO/Head teachers have not been being promoted, posted and placed according to they deserved. These processes should be made easier and smooth enough. For the greater interest of the nation and the country. Keeping such dissatisfaction among a large number of officers, expected progress in primary education sector might be a far cry.  

8. Lack of well coordination among CAG Office, Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Primary and Mass Education: These three concerning Offices should be more cooperative, coordinated and speedy. As they are quite inter-depended, they have to interact smoothly. Sometimes, the slow process of the tripartite actions make serious sufferings for the officers and teachers, serving under them. We may mention here about the anomalies created paying head teachers` salaries and other facilities according they are deserved. This type of problems bring dissatisfactions among teachers and hamper the over all implementation process of compulsory primary education activities of the country.

Conclusion: I have suggested some aspects here in this article; those have been creating bars in implementing over all development of quality primary education in the light of my own thinking. The facts and findings described are exclusively on working experiences of a field level officer.  I have read lots articles on primary education; those are based on texts and imaginative. So, I have tried with utmost sincerity to sketch a true picture of primary education activities running throughout the country. I think the statements would help the concern authorities in making new policies and implementing them.