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Need a sound base for primary

education
Md. Asadullah Khan

THE government's decision to upgrade the status and raise the pay of government primary school teachers, as announced by the
prime minister when inaugurating National Primary Education Week-2014, is likely to bring about some salient improvements in
the primary education sector, which is in a dismal state. By according high priority to primary education, which is the building block
for a wider literacy base and pursuit of higher education, the country can achieve socio-economic development.
Admittedly, education at the primary stage is in a crisis. Its problems are two- fold: lack of resources and declining quality. The
reason for poor quality of schooling is the woefully inadequate physical infrastructure. One saw newspaper photographs of classes
being held under a tree in some areas of Manikganj, Comilla, and Sirajganj. Teachers say that the state of the premises was the main
reason why children did not come to school. In most villages, school buildings have leaky roofs, making it difficult to hold classes
during rains. Adding salt to the injury, 568 schools (443 primary and 125 secondary schools) were torched by terrorists before the
January

parliamentary

polls.

Even if schools were functioning properly with both teachers and students doing their job, how much attention can a primary school
child hope to receive from his or her teacher? Very little. There are about 50-60 children enrolled for each teacher in primary
schools. This implies that even if all teachers teach during school hours, the total amount of teacher-time per child is, on an average,
just

around

one

hour

month.

A World Bank report released recently reveals that most children who have studied up to Class 5 are unable to read or write. The
report shows that only 25% of the total number of students enrolled acquired desired skill in Bangla and 33% in Arithmetic. English
is almost Greek to them during primary schooling. But it is at this stage that familiarity with English language should dispel fear of a
foreign language. The report emphasises that those learning little or finding lessons uninteresting in the lower classes are dropping
out

before

completing

education

up

to

Class

5.

Even though enrolment has increased, about 50 lakh children from poor families are out of school, and slum children in urban areas
are deprived of educational facilities because of poverty and lack of proper environment. Unhappily, the objective of the government
to introduce year-long pre-primary course in existing primary school infrastructure has not been followed up. There was clearly a
benefit to be derived from keeping the preschool children in the fold of primary education, thereby encouraging them to stay on.
There

is

nothing

like

instilling

the

habit

of

learning

early

in

the

day.

Primary schooling system is plagued by shortcomings, both in its infrastructure, including equipment, as well as skill base. Besides,
very little teaching goes on in most of the schools. Teachers are often not present. Teaching aids are seldom available. Teachers feel
that their working conditions are not conducive to better teaching methods. In most schools, they have to deal with more than one
level of students at the same time. Some teachers in such situations concentrate on the higher grades, leaving the younger children
to

their

own

devices.

Moreover, teaching in the lower classes requires an aptitude, patience and commitment. With all these needs and conditions missing
in schools, it's no wonder that younger children make slow progress or eventually drop out. The report published in the dailies
suggest that in 2007, 45 lakh children were admitted in Class 1 but only 20 lakh sat for the final examination in Class 5. As it
appears, education from the primary to secondary level is a low priority subject. Quality of teachers is abysmal because many of
them joined the teaching profession of necessity, and not because they liked it or were interested in it.
Dismal performance of students in competitive examinations like PSC or recruitment tests for jobs in private organisations calls for
an in-depth analysis of the state of education in the country. Even though experts and distinguished educationists have pointed out
the weak base of our primary education as the sole cause for slow progress, we have hardly treated the disease. Outside Dhaka city,
one will find that most of the countryside is a portrait of human misery because of our failure to invest in our children's future. We
have to find out why 50 thousand children are working as labourers for processing 'shutki' fish in coastal areas.
Despite increased government funding in recent years, there is serious lack of monitoring of educational activities. There are
indications that the government is trying to increase enrolment in schools through offers of mid-day meal and stipends. While such
programmes should be expanded in backward areas, we must think of providing some incentives to teachers like free travel in buses
and trains and by instituting 'Best Teacher Award' on the basis of the examinees' performance in the board final examination. They
may also be invited to attend national important events like the 'Victory Day' and 'Independence Day Meet' hosted by the PM and
the

president

of

the

Republic.

They

are

no

less

important

than

our

national

cricket

and

football

players.

If teachers work with commitment and sincerity, they could create some more 'Dupchachia Model Primary Schools.' Reports say that
this school, which was a bad performer just a decade ago, has now come to national focus with 14 of its students getting talent pool
scholarship and 10 students getting general scholarship in 2012 because of the untiring efforts of the headmaster.
A recent report sponsored by the UNDP, Unicef and Unesco concludes that this part of Asia has become the poorest, most illiterate
and malnourished region in the world. Bangladesh still has about 50% illiterate population, and literacy still means just to be able to
read "Sona Monider Pora" or write one's name. Our best schools are those that use English as the medium of instruction. Most
traditional vernacular schools are without exception out of touch with the modern methods of education. This is why even our
politicians and bureaucrats who believe passionately in Bengali nationalism send their children to English medium schools. Even
ordinary villagers seek English medium schools for their children, even though the expenses are prohibitive and not within the
meager

means

of

the

poor

folks.

This pinpoints the responsibility of the government to provide in public education what parents are obliged to buy privately. This
has far reaching consequences that the administration may not be able to realise immediately. Besides, citizens are dismayed by the
loss of bright young boys to education overseas. A large number of young learners after doing 'A' level in English medium schools are
migrating abroad for their schooling and in search of a life that is apparently absent in this country. Few countries can take
satisfaction

from

such

loss

of

their

best

and

brightest.

The

writer

is

E-mail: aukhandk@gmail.com

columnist

of The

Daily

Star.

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