Education programme for 10 lakh out-of-school children faces hiccups

The target of the project is noble – to educate 10 lakh children aged 8-14 who either got dropped out or never got a chance to get enrolled for formal education. But a sluggish implementation by the Bureau of Non-Formal Education so far has marred the goal, causing uncertainty over the project output in the end.   

For example, take the 420 learning centres at six upazilas in Noakhali district. Noakhali Rural Action Society (N-RAS) – a local non-governmental organisation that has engaged to implement the project in the district – have arranged the centres and appointed teachers with a monthly salary of Tk5,000 each from January 2022.   

But none of the teachers has got the salary so far, as the NGO is also unable to pay rent for the centres, according to Abul Hashem, chief executive officer of N-RAS.   

He said the situation has arisen as the bureau has not provided them with the fund despite several requests. 

The bureau was supposed to launch the four-year-long "Out of School Children Education Programme" at a cost of Tk1,600 crore in 2019. But it began in January this year thanks to project delay, while the project duration was curtailed to June 2023. To implement the project in 61 districts, the bureau has engaged 53 local NGOs.    

Under the project, the students will get free books, notebooks, pens, dresses and bags. Besides, each of them will get a stipend of Tk120 per month. 

About the school operations, Upazila Nirbahi Officers (UNO) are tasked with submitting reports to the Deputy Commissioners (DCs). The DCs will then send the evaluation reports to the bureau.

Md Nuruzzan Sharif, director general of the bureau, said they are yet to get all the evaluation reports from 61 districts.   

"After getting the complete report, we will seek funds from the Primary and Mass Education Ministry," he told The Business Standard. He said the bureau has requested the DCs to send the reports as soon as possible as the report is a must to get the fund.

Non-formal education bureau officials said the educational materials were provided to the students in January at the beginning of the programme. But the pupils did not get the materials and the stipend afterwards.

The officials said they have received evaluation reports from 43 districts so far. Reports from 18 districts are yet to be submitted.

Panchagarh is one of the 18 districts that is yet to send the report. Panchagarh Deputy Commissioner Md Jahurul Islam he could not submit the report yet as he was busy with other tasks. 

"We will send it soon," he told The Business Standard.

"Unless the report is submitted, we remain completely in the dark as to whether the learning centres are in operation or not," said an official of the bureau in condition of anonymity.  

Noakhali Deputy Commissioner Dewan Mahbubur Rahman said he briefed the primary and mass education ministry two months ago about the programme and non-payment of teachers' salary.  

Bidyut Roy Barman, deputy director of the Bureau of Non-Formal Education, told The Business Standard, "Our higher authorities in Dhaka have been informed about the teachers' salaries and house rents. We hope to get the allocation soon." 

Md Aminul Islam Khan, senior secretary of the Primary and Mass Education Ministry, told TBS that they have learnt the matter and will take steps soon. 

According to the project details, each learning centre will consist of one teacher and around 20-30 students. Each learner will be provided with one set of the school uniform and one school bag each year. 

The National Curriculum and Textbook Board's primary education curriculum, textbooks, and materials will be used for grades 1-5. 

At these centres, the course duration will be three and a half years – six months each for grades 1, 2, and 3, and one year each for grade 4 and grade 5. 

After completing each grade, the students of grades 1 to 4 will appear in final exams; fifth graders will appear in the Primary Education Completion (PEC) exams. 

The three hill tracts districts – Rangamati, Bandarban, and Khagrachari – are out of the purview of this programme.