Long-fought success in education at risk
Skip to main content
  • Home
  • Economy
    • Aviation
    • Bazaar
    • Budget
    • Industry
    • NBR
    • RMG
    • Corporates
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • World+Biz
  • Sports
  • Features
    • Book Review
    • Brands
    • Earth
    • Explorer
    • Fact Check
    • Family
    • Food
    • Game Reviews
    • Good Practices
    • Habitat
    • Humour
    • In Focus
    • Luxury
    • Mode
    • Panorama
    • Pursuit
    • Wealth
    • Wellbeing
    • Wheels
  • Epaper
  • More
    • Subscribe
    • Videos
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • COVID-19
    • Games
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Podcast
    • Quiz
    • Tech
    • Trial By Trivia
    • Magazine
  • বাংলা
The Business Standard

Friday
January 27, 2023

Sign In
Subscribe
  • Home
  • Economy
    • Aviation
    • Bazaar
    • Budget
    • Industry
    • NBR
    • RMG
    • Corporates
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • World+Biz
  • Sports
  • Features
    • Book Review
    • Brands
    • Earth
    • Explorer
    • Fact Check
    • Family
    • Food
    • Game Reviews
    • Good Practices
    • Habitat
    • Humour
    • In Focus
    • Luxury
    • Mode
    • Panorama
    • Pursuit
    • Wealth
    • Wellbeing
    • Wheels
  • Epaper
  • More
    • Subscribe
    • Videos
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • COVID-19
    • Games
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Podcast
    • Quiz
    • Tech
    • Trial By Trivia
    • Magazine
  • বাংলা
FRIDAY, JANUARY 27, 2023
Long-fought success in education at risk

Covid-19 in Bangladesh

Mir Mohammad Jasim
25 April, 2020, 02:00 pm
Last modified: 25 April, 2020, 02:43 pm

Related News

  • China says Covid deaths down by nearly 80 percent
  • Updated Covid vaccines prevented illness from latest variants -CDC
  • The power of nonverbal behaviour in classroom education
  • US proposes once-a-year Covid shots for most Americans
  • Covid-19 cut known human trafficking, but Ukraine war a risk: UN

Long-fought success in education at risk

Experts say poorer students will face increased obstacles to achieving good grades, problems in reaching online resources and psychological challenges

Mir Mohammad Jasim
25 April, 2020, 02:00 pm
Last modified: 25 April, 2020, 02:43 pm
Photo: UNB
Photo: UNB

Niloy, a fifth-grader in a Mohammadpur government primary school in Dhaka, has been confined to a small two-room tin-shed house with his parents and elder brother Moshahid – a ninth grader – for over a month.

Both the brothers solely depend on schools for their studies but that facility too has been disrupted as schools have remained closed due to the nationwide public holidays following the Covid-19 outbreak. In the next one month too, schools will remain closed for the holy month of Ramadan.

Meanwhile, they follow some recorded classes broadcast on the state-run television channel but those are not enough for them.

Niloy used to go with his mother Banu Begum, a housemaid, to her workplace in the area and learn Maths and English from Faiaz Abrar, an eighth-grader son of the employer. But that facility also remains stopped due to the shutdown.

However, Abrar's learning is ongoing because he is connected online with both his school teachers and his private tutor.

But Niloy's father, a CNG auto-rickshaw driver, has no capacity to enable Niloy to participate in online classes as he has been jobless while Niloy's mother cannot go to the household where she is employed.

The story of Niloy and Abrar is symbolic of the already existing inequality in their education in proportion to their fathers' incomes.

Around three crore students at both primary and secondary levels are now out of school due to the ongoing public holidays. Most of them belong to either middle- or low-income groups, and many are not able to participate in televised classes.

As a result, their education is likely to face further disruption if the holidays continue beyond May 5.

The quality of education in Bangladesh has been in question for long. And Covid-19 is revealing the disparity between the rich and the poor in the present education system, which is widening further by the school closure.

Meanwhile, the government is yet to make plans for the education sector to recover from the Covid-19 rampage.

As a result, poorer students will face increased obstacles to achieving good grades, problems in reaching online resources and psychological challenges, say experts.

Many students may be forced to discontinue their studies as their parents, who have been hit hard by the pandemic, may not be able to send their children to school owing to their economic hardship, experts fear.

This may put the country's long-fought success in school enrolment at risk, they opine.

The government has been emphasising cent percent enrolment at the primary level since 1999, with stipends and free books given to all students.The country has achieved 98 percent enrolment in primary education. A higher enrolment rate of girls in both primary and secondary levels has been lauded by all as this helps fight child marriage.

Secondary school students have been receiving stipends since 2001 and new books since 2010. Yet the enrolment rate is low (53 percent) as many students drop out at the primary level.

"It is now difficult to predict what the actual impact of the pandemic on education will be," according to Rasheda K Chowdhury, executive director of the Campaign for Popular Education.

"But we assume that the government's success in enrolling the children will be at risk."

Educationist Professor Syed Manzoorul Islam said the country sees a positive trend among parents from both lower to higher classes who send their children to schools. "But the coronavirus may upset the trend."

He expressed concern that child labour might increase as lower- and lower-middle income people will be the most vulnerable economically after the pandemic. They will be compelled to send their children to work.

Md Fasiullah, director general of the primary education directorate, echoed Manzoorul Islam's comments.

"We fear that enrolments in schools from the next academic year may decline. Many students may drop out at the primary level."

"Many guardians may terminate their children's studies and force them to work for their families. The tendency of not sending children to schools may increase, which will be dangerous for our education sector," he also said.

He further said the authorities had not prepared any plan yet to recover from the adverse impact of the coronavirus on education.

"We will try our level best to continue the existing enrolment and check the dropout rate. We do not know what actually will happen," he added.

Professor Dr Syed Md Golam Faruk, director general of the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education, also fears a big school dropout."We are observing the situation and will take initiatives on how to overcome the difficulties and prevent dropouts," he said.

To overcome the pandemic impact, educationalist Prof Manzoorul Islam suggested increasing the amount of stipends for needy students so that their families could benefit from them.

"Otherwise, it will be tough to retain students in schools," he said, adding that the budgetary allocation for the education sector must be increased to fight the Covid-19 fallout.

Top News / Education

Education / Coronavirus in Bangladesh / COVID-19 / COVID-19 in Bangladesh / Covid-19 crisis / Coronavirus impact / Coronavirus Pandemic

Comments

While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive, moderation decisions are subjective. Published comments are readers’ own views and The Business Standard does not endorse any of the readers’ comments.

Top Stories

  • Manufacturers feel the pinch as consumers tighten belt
    Manufacturers feel the pinch as consumers tighten belt
  • Sugar turning bitter!
    Sugar turning bitter!
  • Ministries, divisions with highest allocation lag in ADP implementation
    Ministries, divisions with highest allocation lag in ADP implementation

MOST VIEWED

  • Incepta Pharma abandons Covid vaccine plan
    Incepta Pharma abandons Covid vaccine plan
  • Test tube labelled "Covid-19 Omicron variant test positive" is seen in this illustration picture taken 15 January, 2022. PHOTO: REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration
    Tighter screening at ports urged as new Covid sub-variant BF.7 detected
  • Test tube labelled "Covid-19 Omicron variant test positive" is seen in this illustration picture taken 15 January, 2022. PHOTO: REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration
    First case of new Covid sub-variant Omicron BF.7 detected in Bangladesh: IEDCR
  • Illustration: Collected
    Genome sequencing reports of Chinese nationals infected with Covid by Sunday: IEDCR
  • Computer image of a betacoronavirus which is the type of virus linked to Covid-19
    4 Chinese nationals detected with Covid at Dhaka airport
  • Omicron BF7: Land ports still left unguarded
    Omicron BF7: Land ports still left unguarded

Related News

  • China says Covid deaths down by nearly 80 percent
  • Updated Covid vaccines prevented illness from latest variants -CDC
  • The power of nonverbal behaviour in classroom education
  • US proposes once-a-year Covid shots for most Americans
  • Covid-19 cut known human trafficking, but Ukraine war a risk: UN

Features

According to the CAB president Ghulam Rahman, one of the most common complaints of consumers is being deceived by sellers when it comes to the weight of goods. Photo: TBS

Has the Directorate improved consumer rights in Bangladesh?

1d | Panorama
A 2022 survey of 1,000 companies by professional services consultancy PwC found that between a sixth and a quarter had used AI in recruitment or employee retention in the past 12 months. Illustration: Bloomberg

AI is coming to your workplace. Is the world ready?

1d | Panorama
Edison Desdemona, the newly launched stellar project of Edison Real Estate, located at Bashundhara Residential Area. Photo: Courtesy

EDISON DESDEMONA: A creation like no other

2d | Habitat
BruTown by PARTI.studio. Photo: Junaid Hasan Pranto

Interesting ceiling design ideas to elevate any space

2d | Habitat

More Videos from TBS

Kajol’s road paintings bring change in Gafargaon

Kajol’s road paintings bring change in Gafargaon

8h | TBS Stories
Carew & Company witnessed a remarkable growth

Carew & Company witnessed a remarkable growth

9h | TBS Stories
PCB recalls cricketers from BPL ahead of PSL

PCB recalls cricketers from BPL ahead of PSL

11h | TBS SPORTS
Why Misha Sawdagar became villain instead of a Hero?

Why Misha Sawdagar became villain instead of a Hero?

10h | TBS Entertainment

Most Read

1
Picture: Collected
Bangladesh

US Embassy condemns recent incidents of visa fraud

2
Four top bankers arrested in DSA case filed by S Alam group 
Bangladesh

Four top bankers arrested in DSA case filed by S Alam group 

3
Illustration: TBS
Banking

16 banks at risk of capital shortfall if top 3 borrowers default

4
A frozen Beyond Burger plant-based patty. Photographer: AKIRA for Bloomberg Businessweek
Bloomberg Special

Fake meat was supposed to save the world. It became just another fad

5
Photo: Collected
Splash

Hansal Mehta responds as Twitter user calls him 'shameless' for making Faraaz

6
Ctg Port Gets A Boost: The Chattogram port officially starts to berth vessels with 10 metres drought on Monday. As of now, only 9.5m draught vessels could anchor at the port, each carrying 2,500 TEUs. But the 10m draught ship will be able to carry 4,000 TEUs, bumping up the port’s container handling capacity and bringing down costs. The photo was taken recently from the port area. Photo: Mohammed Minhaj Uddin
Bangladesh

Dollar crisis: 3 ships with 54,000 tonnes of goods get stuck at Ctg port

EMAIL US
[email protected]
FOLLOW US
WHATSAPP
+880 1847416158
The Business Standard
  • About Us
  • Contact us
  • Sitemap
  • Privacy Policy
  • Comment Policy
Copyright © 2023
The Business Standard All rights reserved
Technical Partner: RSI Lab

Contact Us

The Business Standard

Main Office -4/A, Eskaton Garden, Dhaka- 1000

Phone: +8801847 416158 - 59

Send Opinion articles to - [email protected]

For advertisement- [email protected]