Why 51pc of pry school students can’t read Bangla, English
According to the World Bank, Bangladesh operates one of the world’s largest primary education systems, yet it is plagued by severe fragility; 51 percent of 10-year-old children are unable to read and comprehend age-appropriate texts in Bangla and English, nor do they possess grade-appropriate mathematical skills.
The state of primary education in the country remains precarious due to poor teaching, a lack of school leadership, mismanagement, inadequate infrastructure, climate-related disruptions, and insufficient funding. A World Bank report published this year highlights this fragility, noting that more than half of the students are unable to read text.
It has been reported that the total number of students currently studying at the primary education level in the country-ranging from pre-primary to grade five-stands at 20,183,048.
According to the Annual Primary School Statistics 2024, over 20 million children are enrolled in 118,607 institutions across the country; of these, 10,617,962-representing 52.60 percent-attend 65,567 government schools.
Data from the Directorate of Primary Education reveals that out of 65,553 headmaster posts in the country, 27,734 are vacant, with assistant teachers serving in an acting capacity.
There are allegations that some teachers incur expenses to secure these acting headmaster roles in order to enjoy the associated perks and benefits.
On a positive note, during an exchange meeting on August 13, Bobby Hajjaj, the State Minister for Primary and Mass Education, announced that the recruitment process for 32,000 headmasters has commenced. A study by NAPE reveals that while approximately 60 percent of teachers claim to be digitally proficient, only one-fourth actually apply these skills in the classroom.
Data from the National Student Assessment presents an even more concerning picture: proficiency in Bangla among third-graders dropped from 67 percent in 2011 to 51 percent in 2022, while proficiency in Mathematics fell from 50 percent to 39 percent. Yet, during this period, approximately Tk 33,473 crore was spent on the PEDP-3 and PEDP-4 projects.
The proposed World Bank-funded PEDP-5 project, worth Tk 41,761 crore, is still awaiting approval; it encompasses eight objectives, including the provision of uniforms, bags, and shoes, teacher training, and the construction of 15,641 classrooms and 1,500 WASH blocks.
Md. Shahanewaz Khan Chandan, an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Education and Research at Jagannath University, told the media that the new curriculum would not yield significant results without skilled, talented teachers and effective instruction; he therefore emphasized the need to establish a primary education cadre and a permanent education commission. Rasheda K. Choudhury, Executive Director of the Campaign for Popular Education (CAMPE), also called for the formation of a permanent education commission.
While significant progress has been made in ensuring universal access and gender parity over the past two decades, major gaps remain in achieving grade-appropriate competencies; factors identified behind this include poor teaching quality, a lack of effective school leadership, mismanagement, inadequate infrastructure, climate-related disruptions, and insufficient funding.
However, Khairun Nahar Lipi, General Secretary of the Bangladesh Primary Teachers’ Association, has expressed disagreement with this World Bank report. She stated that, in her view, the World Bank attempted to portray the situation in specific areas as representative of the overall picture; the reality is that, despite numerous challenges, primary education has improved significantly compared to the past.
State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Bobby Hajjaj has spoken of bringing about radical changes in primary education within the next two to three years. He stated that the government is working systematically to realize the vision and fulfill the responsibility entrusted to them by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman regarding the transformation of primary education. It will be possible to bring about visible and qualitative changes in the country’s primary education system within the next two to three years.
Dr. Mahdi Amin, the Prime Minister’s Adviser on Education and Primary & Mass Education, told the media, “Comprehensive and extensive reforms are being introduced to the curriculum for the 2028 academic year.
This will enable the creation of a sustainable and groundbreaking curriculum framework for the country, aligned with current global realities.” He further stated that four new books and subjects are being introduced at the primary and secondary levels starting from the upcoming academic year.
The book ‘Sports and Culture,’ based on sports and physical education, is being introduced in the curriculum from Class 4, while ‘Learning with Happiness’ and ‘Technical Education’ are being included from Class 6. The objective is to familiarize students with modern, technology-driven education-including robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), and the technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
