Towards improving quality of primary education

Habibur Rahman

The current happenings around the proposed role of BRAC in primary school teachers training has provoked me to discuss further on such an issue, i.e. quality of primary education, which has already been one of the most discussed and vital topics in the education sector of Bangladesh.
   The teachers have taken firm stand against any proposition of involving BRAC in supervising and monitoring the primary schools. BRAC has stated in a press-conference that there hasn't been any intention from their side of intruding the supervision, monitoring and administration of primary schools.
   The teachers have correctly pointed out that they cannot be supervised by any NGO. They are accountable to their authority and management system. The government has multi-level setting for supervision, monitoring and evaluation of primary education.
   The primary school teachers along with the government and community have achieved one of the highest enrolment rates in the South Asian Region. They have also contributed in achieving parity in boys and girls enrolment in primary education. However, ensuring quality in primary education is still a far cry. More than 40 per cent children cross their primary school going age without completing the full cycle of primary education. Two out of three are entering adulthood without basic literacy and numeric skills and preparations for life. There are poor retention and high drop-out rates. The rate of post-primary discontinuation is also alarming. Due to the crisis of quality, most of the children do not achieve minimum competencies even after completing the primary education cycle.
   Numerous researches and real life experiences show that there are inadequacies in terms of child-friendly teaching learning methods, materials and well-trained teachers in the country. We need to take special measures and invest more resources for improving the teaching learning processes in classrooms.
   The teachers might agree that the improvement of the quality of teachers is a must to ensure quality primary education. The question remains as to how far the existing system could address the capacity development needs of a very large number of primary school teachers and management personnel.
   The scopes of building the primary school teachers' capacity are limited in the country. There are 54 Primary Training Institutes (PTIs), which offer one-year certificate course (C-in-Ed) for primary school teachers of the government and registered non-government primary schools. This means the 54 PTIs need to serve more than 80 thousand primary education institutions in which there are more than three hundred twenty thousand teachers! In fact, most of the non-government primary school teachers teach without any training for a long period of their services. This has also to do with the capacity of National Academy for Primary Education (NAPE), National Textbook and Curriculum Board (NCTB), and Upazila Resource Centers (URC).
   Most of the government primary school teachers have already received C-in-Ed or been receiving the cluster trainings. After the pre-service training, it becomes difficult for the teachers to translate the training into the prevailing classrooms settings for various reasons. On the other hand, teachers of other institution receive very limited opportunities for capacity building.
   It was found during the civil society consultation as part of mid-term review of the PEDP II (Primary Education Development Programme phase II) that the existing teacher training was not producing the desired results. The consultation found PTI training is not updated and less contributing in achieving the desired competencies for the primary school children. Reform in PTI training has been under consideration for a long time but there hasn't been any notable progress so far. Therefore, the stagnation in teachers' capacity building should be addressed through the alternative models and experiences that exist in the country. Models and experiences of BRAC and other NGOs could be utilised to design and trial more effective practical and efficient approaches.
   The government is implementing the PEDP II to increase primary school access, participation and completion in accord with 'Education For All' (EFA), Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and other commitments. PEDP II has set the Primary School Quality Levels (PSQL) standard, which shows its systematic approach in working for and tracking the progress around quality. There should be all out efforts in realizing the target and efforts should explore paths alternative to the ones that have already been proven as not so much effective. .
   Rasheda K Chowdhury, the Advisor for the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education (MoPME), has already declared that BRAC had not been given any authority to monitor and supervise primary school teachers. She added that BRAC would pilot their experiences in teachers' capacity building in those Upazilas.
   So far, we have got the views of BRAC and the teachers on the issue. However, we have yet to know the Upazila level government officials' views. The government officials' roles in this pilot project were not discussed. Misunderstanding took place regarding BRAC's pilot programme and teachers' associations' position. It seemed that it was not well communicated among the teachers and their associations on the goals and objectives of the programme. Most probably there weren't any consultation by the government took place with the primary school teachers and their association. The decision should be communicated by the district and Upazilas level government primary education officials to the teachers. The government should have introduced BRAC with the teachers and clarify the goals, objectives and benefits of teachers before initiating the pilot project.
   The government should take the following steps before implementing the teachers' capacity development programme with BRAC:
   MoPME should organise press conference to clarify their position as well as the nature of the support expected from the BRAC in developing teachers' capacity further in the respective Upazilas;
   The government should hold dialogues with the appropriate representations from the Primary Teachers' Associations preferably in presence of BRAC;
   The government should have series of meetings at the respective Upazilas with primary school teachers' along with Upazila level officials for clarifying all stakeholders' roles and activities including outcomes of the BRAC pilot project.
   Finally, BRAC should organize series of meetings with teachers, SMC members along with other members of the civil society, local administration and media.
   We believe that the time has not run out to start this pilot programme. The government should immediately take measures to remove confusion around the project and facilitate the process towards an amicable solution for improving the quality of primary education in Bangladesh.
   The writer is Director, Education, Save the Children USA.

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Md. Masum Billah

The recent remark of lawyer Dr. Kamal Hossain regarding the political situation prevailing in the country gives ample scope for thinking. He has said, "After 1/11 massive reforms were started in the country which should see a successful conclusion." Questions are being raised about the government's ability to manage, he said urging officials of the military-backed caretaker government, "You have taken up a responsibility. Your patience, competence and honesty are being tested. Don't let the corrupt people browbeat you. The county cannot afford to be handed over again to those who were engaged in corruption in the past and that the election must be held without any manipulation by godfathers and black money holders."
   Urging the Government to be alert about national security, he said, "Many godfathers are now trying to regroup in border areas and the Government should not show any leniency towards them". Kamal Hossain however declined to make any comment when he was asked whether a telephone conversation between Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina and the Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed, before her departure from the country was right. "You better ask the Government," Dr Kamal retorted instead.
   In democracy the public representation is a must, but the nature and way of it has been vitiated by black money and muscle power. We cannot afford to continue it further.
   Democracy did not stabilise in this country because of top-down model of administration or implementing policy has too often been practised as a top-down or governing-elite phenomenon which hardly saw real representation of grassroots level leaders. The masses would be much better served if its practitioners adopt a more participatory and more directly democratic orientation. The party which wins the national election dominates keeping aside the local government body's interest and welfare of ordinary people. This top-down mode hardly gives opportunity to the people to elect candidate of their liking as most of the process is influenced by central policy and leaders.
   To bring honest, patriotic and clean people to politics in local government without political influence is a key factor. Such kind of people will be interested in serving the public and contribute to the welfare of the people and the nation. Election controlled by muscle power can never bring honest people to come to politics. Thus the country is deprived of their honest services.
   It is true that running the governance calls for experience as it entails serious public dealing and political party leaders have such kind of knowledge in this line. But their corruption, nepotism and party leanings banish all sorts of public welfare and ordinary voters are deprived of their due rights and privileges due to these negative aspects.
   On the other hand, the civil society members, honest citizens don't have any experience of governance. Their assumption on the office may suffer from public dealing with some flaws. Even then, their honesty may drive away the hurdles standing in the way of their public dealings. Now let the honest people come to politics which may bring positive change in the life of ordinary people of Bangladesh.
   The big political leaders and even the civil society members sometimes utter that this government does not have any right to think of local government election, to take any financial decision etc. The political turmoil has given rise to this government. Serious chaos the country experienced and its upshot is the present government. Formally they did not take the votes of the people but indirectly and informally they enjoy public mandate.
   Democracy is the popular form of government but it does not always benefit the people. India is the largest democracy in the world where military never took over state power whereas in Pakistan and Bangladesh have seen military rule.
   
   Democracy and poverty in India
   But India's economic situation is still grave which is evidenced from an article of Kuldip Nayar in a local daily on June 16. He said, "No doubt, India's middle class has expanded 350 million but the 20 million at the bottom are destitute. The Indian government's own report published earlier this year says that more than 70 per cent of the people live on less than a dollar per day.
   What does development or progress mean when roughly 70 million people are deprived of basic necessities?" It proves though democracy is the established form of government, it cannot ensure basic necessities of ordinary people.
   Cuba has seen socialism in the form of autocracy but she has ensured almost all the basic necessities of her people. Still we are to form, establish and exercise democracy.
   After the restoration of parliamentary democracy in the 1990 in our country all the governments were either coalition or quasi-coalitions. Gradually the country was moving towards greater and bigger coalitions. The fact indicates that however large parties are, they alone are not in a position to form government. In the 2001 elections, the BNP-led alliance won an overall majority with 219 seats out of 300 (BNP - 196 seats; Jamaat-e-Islami -17 seats. The Awami League won 58 seats.
   The local government elections must not be dominated by politics. Commerce and Education Adviser Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman said "We are moving forward step by step and the election to the local bodies is an important step to pass." To address local issues effectively and combat natural calamites the strengthening of local government bodies is of great importance.
   The writer works as a specialist in the BRAC Education Programme, PACE and regularly writers son various national and international issues. Phone: 9355253 (home), 01715-401267 (cell) Email: mmbillah2000@yahoo.com

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