Critical primary education gap found in disaster-prone areas of two districts

More than half of the class 3 and class 5 students in disaster-prone areas of Khulna and Bagerhat districts lag in achieving the required competencies as per the respective levels, according to a study.

Primary education in those areas faces problems such as a lack of adequate teachers, the prevalence of lecture-based teaching and traditional exam-based assessment, poor and irregular monitoring, school closures due to natural disasters, and poor road communication, the study shows.

The WAVE Foundation, supported by Oxfam IBIS and Street Child UK, conducted the research in Khulna and Bagerhat from October to November this year with data collected from 23 primary schools and a total of 804 people.

The study finds that 70% of schoolchildren can only read Bangla words and 40% of girls and 30% of boys can read stories in Bangla. 

On the other hand, 50% of schoolchildren can solve basic-level problems in mathematics and 10% of schoolchildren can read stories in English.

The two districts covered in this study had mean scores much lower than the national mean scores in the National Student Assessment 2017 survey.

The WAVE Foundation study found 57% of primary students fell below national standards in Bangla, while mathematics and English witnessed even steeper declines, with 69% and 70% underperforming, respectively.

The study also found 84% of schools in flood and cyclone-prone areas experience extended closures lasting an average of 26 days. Schools also observe a 3% increase in dropout rates as well as lowered competencies in mathematics and English as a result of the extended closures, it shows. 

In addition to direct damage caused by cyclones and flooding, the study also finds that 70% of schools are used as temporary shelters.

Khadiza Begum, assistant teacher of K Gorghata Govt Primary School at Morelgonj in Bagerhat, told The Business Standard that from May to September, there is continuous rain and storms for nearly five months. Due to poor road communications, many students do not attend classes, she said. 

"Many times accumulation of water in schools occurs due to continuous rain or flooding. Sometimes, classes and exams have to be postponed due to cyclones. For these reasons, the syllabus cannot be completed." 

Mohsin Ali, founder and executive director of WAVE Foundation, told TBS that in the study areas, education activities are hampered during natural disasters as schools remain closed to provide shelter. As a result, students lose track of lessons and thus interest in studies, he said. 

"Many students have to take part in the income-generating activities of their families after such disasters, while many are not able to continue their studies due to worsened financial conditions. Although steps are taken to recover the learning gap, about one-third of the students reported that no action was taken to recover the loss of education."

The Covid-19 pandemic also had a devastating impact on primary education, due to the long-time closure of schools, which led to learning loss, increased dropouts, and disrupted the lives of teachers and students, he said. 

"The education loss incurred during the Covid-19 pandemic in the study area is yet to be recovered, and requires long-term intervention." 

The study reveals that the average expenditure per student on Primary Education Completion Examination-related activities was over Tk8,000, most of which was spent on private tutoring. Other major expenditures were for school-organised coaching and guidebooks. 

The study also shows 54.73% of students have to resort to coaching on their initiative, 23.76% take coaching or tuition from school teachers, 11.19% have received coaching from school and 1.62% use guidebooks given by schools.

Chief Researcher Shahzada M Akram said improved road communication and transport systems in the disaster-prone south-western region must be given proper attention. 

To prepare for a disaster plan in coastal areas, financial and resource allocation should be extended to support students, teachers, and schools, he said. 

"This includes providing hardship allowances to teachers in the coastal belt and necessities like water-proofed school bags, jackets, and materials to vulnerable students." 

Professor Emeritus Dr Monzur Ahmed told TBS that the basic problem in primary education in Bangladesh is that different geographical, cultural, urban, coastal, and rural areas have the same system. "We don't have enough teachers. Existing ones have a lack of skills."

Special initiatives are needed for schoolchildren in the coastal areas, he suggested. 

"Education methods and action plans should be based on the conditions and people of each region. If we can develop educational curriculums and teaching methods according to geographical and cultural conditions, we can get a good result in primary education."