ZCZC
BSS-27
WORLD BANK-REPORT
Bangladesh attains remarkable success in bringing children to pry school:
WB report
DHAKA, Feb 27, 2019 (BSS)-Bangladesh has attained remarkable success in
bringing nearly all children to primary school, said a new World Bank report.
“The World Development Report 2018: ‘Learning to Realize Education’s
Promise,” presented today in Dhaka, however, said that the education quality
remains a concern.
“Many young students in Bangladesh, as in other low and middle-income
countries, find it hard to get good jobs because they leave the education
system without required skills to read, write or do basic math,” said the
report, according to a World Bank press release.
The launching event was organized in collaboration with the Lego Foundation
at a city hotel. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md. Shahriar Alam,
policymakers, officials and other education experts attended the event.
The report also said that Bangladesh should address this learning crisis by
investing more in education and investing more effectively.
It said schooling is not the same as learning. In Bangladesh, children can
expect to get around 11 years of schooling, but they lose about 4.5 of these
due to the poor quality of schooling.
For example, 35 percent of grade 3 students scored too low to even be
tested on reading comprehension in Bangla, and only 25 percent of grade 5
students in the country passed the minimum threshold in math.
The key factors behind this are: lack of access to early childhood
development programs, low quality of teaching practices, challenges related
to poor school management, and low levels of overall spending on public
education.
“Bangladesh is among the few countries to achieve gender parity in school
enrollment with more girls in school than boys. The country has the potential
to create a globally competitive workforce by investing in education,” said
Bob Saum, World Bank Country Director for Bangladesh and Bhutan.
“Bangladesh’s share of public spending on education is lower than the South
Asian average and about half of Malaysia’s share of spending on education.
But it’s not just about the overall spending, it’s also about how spending is
being used. Systematically measuring whether schooling is translating into
learning is critical for ensuring that education spending is effective.”
added the World Bank Country Director.
The report gives three recommendations: assess learning to keep track of
progress; improve school systems by attracting high-quality teachers,
improving the teaching and learning process and motivating children to come
to school; and use data on learning to mobilize all stakeholders – from the
private sector to policymakers and parents – to improve quality of learning
for a more vibrant and skilled workforce in the future.
Learning outcomes are worse for students from poor and vulnerable
backgrounds. But, success is possible.
For example, the report said Vietnam’s 2012 results from a worldwide test
for high school students in math, science, and reading called PISA, showed
that its 15-year-olds performed at the same level as those in Germany – even
though Vietnam is a much poorer country.
“A big reason why schooling does not translate into learning is because in
many countries there is a need for continued strengthening of investment in
young children,” said Jaime Saavedra, World Bank Senior Director for
Education.
BSS/PR/GM/ARS/1759 HRS