Govt scores poor on total literacy

39pc people still illiterate: Survey

Despite several government initiatives, the target for total literacy in the country still remains a far cry, with the number of illiterate people pegged at nearly 40 per cent.Quoting from a survey by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), primary and mass education minister Mostafizur Rahman Fizar yesterday said the literacy rate in the country was close to 61 per cent. The minister also said the illiteracy rate has dropped by four per cent, compared to last year.
According to the BBS survey of 2013, the illiteracy rate among those between five and nine years was 16.43 per cent, 67.38 per cent in the 10 to 14 years age bracket, 82.17 per cent for those 15 to 19 years old, and 75.09 per cent in the 20 to 24 years bracket.
The literacy rate of people aged above seven years stood at 54.19 per cent, 59.82 per cent for those above 15 years, and 52.75 per cent for those above 25 years.
“At present, the country’s literacy rate is 61 per cent, as per BBS. To increase the literacy rate in a sustainable manner, the government has launched a Tk 45-crore ‘Basic Literacy Project’ with its own funds. It would be conducted by the Bureau of Non-Formal Education,” the minister told reporters at his office in the Secretariat. “The jumbo project aims to educate 45 lakh people between 15 and 45 years of age in 64 districts though local NGOs,” he added.
He further said the government would like to impart education in such a way that a literate person could add value to his or her family.
The minister held the press meet ahead of International Literacy Day on September 8. He announced that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will grace a programme with the theme ‘Literacy and Sustainable Societies’ to commemorate the day at Osmany Memorial in the city. Besides, a rally will
be taken out from
Central Shaheed Minar to Osmany Memorial in
the morning, he added.
The education minister said the government was going to extend distribution of stipends to primary-level students across the country. “At present, 78 lakh students at the primary level are getting the benefits of stipends. We are going to add some 52 lakh more students under the scheme so as to achieve a target of 1.30 crore. It will usher in an epoch-making change in education at the primary level,” he said, adding that each student will get Tk. 100 per month.
“The system of enrolment will cut the dropout rate. Around 7.5 crore families would benefit from the stipend programme,” he said. Experts, however, were not very enthused by

the latest figures. They said though the literacy rate has increased, over 39 per cent of the country’s population was still illiterate, and pointed out that this was a great hurdle for the sustainable development of Bangladesh.
They also pointed out literacy did not merely mean that a person could sign one’s name, but it has a rather broader meaning as to how a citizen could apply his or her learning for sustainable development.
Prof. Dr Mohammad Siddiqur Rahman of the Institute of Education and Research, Dhaka University, told The Independent: “The literacy rate has increased, but still 39 per cent of the population are illiterate. That is because every government had some political agenda and they did not take any major initiatives to eradicate illiteracy.”
He further said a short-term literacy programme was not enough because people tend to forget what they have learned without the scope for practice, and then they relapse into illiteracy. “Education has to be sustainable. Otherwise, it will only be an expenditure of money without any decisive achievement,” he added.
For the sustainability of literacy, the educationist recommended that the government should set up different clubs or centres with opportunities for reading books in easy language on life-oriented topics, such as housing, agriculture, fisheries, health, etc.

 

Govt scores poor on total literacy

39pc people still illiterate: Survey

Despite several government initiatives, the target for total literacy in the country still remains a far cry, with the number of illiterate people pegged at nearly 40 per cent.Quoting from a survey by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), primary and mass education minister Mostafizur Rahman Fizar yesterday said the literacy rate in the country was close to 61 per cent. The minister also said the illiteracy rate has dropped by four per cent, compared to last year. According to the BBS survey of 2013, the illiteracy rate among those between five and nine years was 16.43 per cent, 67.38 per cent in the 10 to 14 years age bracket, 82.17 per cent for those 15 to 19 years old, and 75.09 per cent in the 20 to 24 years bracket. The literacy rate of people aged above seven years stood at 54.19 per cent, 59.82 per cent for those above 15 years, and 52.75 per cent for those above 25 years. At present, the countrys literacy rate is 61 per cent, as per BBS. To increase the literacy rate in a sustainable manner, the government has launched a Tk 45-crore Basic Literacy Project with its own funds. It would be conducted by the Bureau of Non-Formal Education, the minister told reporters at his office in the Secretariat. The jumbo project aims to educate 45 lakh people between 15 and 45 years of age in 64 districts though local NGOs, he added. He further said the government would like to impart education in such a way that a literate person could add value to his or her family. The minister held the press meet ahead of International Literacy Day on September 8. He announced that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will grace a programme with the theme Literacy and Sustainable Societies to commemorate the day at Osmany Memorial in the city. Besides, a rally will be taken out from Central Shaheed Minar to Osmany Memorial in the morning, he added. The education minister said the government was going to extend distribution of stipends to primary-level students across the country. At present, 78 lakh students at the primary level are getting the benefits of stipends. We are going to add some 52 lakh more students under the scheme so as to achieve a target of 1.30 crore. It will usher in an epoch-making change in education at the primary level, he said, adding that each student will get Tk. 100 per month. The system of enrolment will cut the dropout rate. Around 7.5 crore families would benefit from the stipend programme, he said. Experts, however, were not very enthused by the latest figures. They said though the literacy rate has increased, over 39 per cent of the countrys population was still illiterate, and pointed out that this was a great hurdle for the sustainable development of Bangladesh. They also pointed out literacy did not merely mean that a person could sign ones name, but it has a rather broader meaning as to how a citizen could apply his or her learning for sustainable development. Prof. Dr Mohammad Siddiqur Rahman of the Institute of Education and Research, Dhaka University, told The Independent: The literacy rate has increased, but still 39 per cent of the population are illiterate. That is because every government had some political agenda and they did not take any major initiatives to eradicate illiteracy. He further said a short-term literacy programme was not enough because people tend to forget what they have learned without the scope for practice, and then they relapse into illiteracy. Education has to be sustainable. Otherwise, it will only be an expenditure of money without any decisive achievement, he added. For the sustainability of literacy, the educationist recommended that the government should set up different clubs or centres with opportunities for reading books in easy language on life-oriented topics, such as housing, agriculture, fisheries, health, etc.