Massive plan to develop the quality of secondary education

Education experts have pointed out that the Bangladeshi students in general don’t become equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills the present day demands

The quality of secondary education has appeared as a debatable issue for long but the response of the government voiced it differently. Education experts have pointed out that the students don’t become equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills the present day demands and needs. Inadequate schools, heavy school curriculum, complex textbooks, outdated teaching methods and poor teaching-learning approaches, dropping out, teacher's shortage and poor infrastructural facilities stand as major problems in this sector. The students coming out of government primary schools stand beyond   the expected   level of competencies.  A national   assessment   of   student learning   showed that only 25 percent of Class 5 students achieved the expected competencies in Bangla and Math. Around 50 percent of eighth graders do not have expected level of competence in English and 46 percent of them lack proficiency in mathematics. The teacher-student ratio schools are trained, according to Bangladesh Education Statistics 2015 published by Bangladesh Bureau   of   Educational   Information   &   Statistics.  Are   they   properly   trained   or   do   they   use learners ‘engaging techniques in the classroom? These are big questions. Actually problems barring the quality lie more and multifarious.  With a view to addressing these questions the government is planning to introduce a massive program worth $16 for secondary education to transform the sector by improving the quality of education   and   developing   employability   skills   of   secondary   graduates.   This   project   titled "Secondary Education Development Program" will be the biggest-ever project in the country's sector after the Tk 22,196-crore "Third Primary Education Development Program" launched in 2011. It is learnt that the government, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank will jointly finance this five-year program covering the entire secondary education. From January 2018 the program is going to be launched intending to cover grade VI to XII, annually supporting more than 1.2 crore students and 300,000 teachers from over 20,000 schools, 10,000 madrasas   and   1,000   school-based   vocational/technical   institutions   across   the   country. The reform areas under the program include teacher salary subsidies to non-government schools in the form of monthly payment order (MPO), teacher rationalization and   performance   management,   institutionalization   of   learning   assessments,   curriculum   and examinations,   adolescent   girls'   health   and   empowerment   and   transition   of   class VI-VIII   to primary education.
 "Enhanced Quality and Relevance of Secondary Education" will be the first priority area of the project. Productivity of secondary graduates would be enhanced by developing their cognitive and technical skills so that they could succeed in job sector. The curriculum and textbooks for class IX to XII would be revised and a pre-vocational and   vocational curriculum would be introduced in grades XI and XII to impart skills relevant to the national and international job market. Strengthening teachers’ quality and capacity would be one of the major focus areas. Reforms would be brought to the teacher management system through upgrading and delivering pre-service training and in-service training. A teacher performance management system would also be developed. A new examination system in class VIII, X and XII would be adopted to achieve improved classroom assessment and national learning assessment. Development of classrooms, water and sanitation facilities, science and computer labs, and other physical facilities will be improved. In order to strengthen school-based management, measures will be taken to enhance the capacity of head teachers by scaling up the National Academy for Education Management   training program for them. An accountability mechanism would also be   introduced   at the   school   level.   School salary and non-salary   grant   financing mechanism will be developed and implemented by 2018.
"Increased Equitable Access and Retention to Secondary Education" will be the   next  focal   area  under   which   equitable   access   to  secondary  education   and   improving retention rate will be ensured. , especially in class VIII and X where the dropout rate is very high particularly   among   girls. The   program   will   harmonize   the currently implemented   multiple stipends   schemes   with   varying   rates   and   modalities.   It   will   give   special   attention   to   the adolescent girls and address the key issues causing their dropouts. Supplementary stipends will be   provided   and   toilet   and   sanitation   facilities   will   be   ensured.   Besides,   counselling   and awareness   programs   would   be   conducted   at   the   school   level   on   girls'   health,   hygiene   and empowerment. Governance, management and administration are the areas in secondary level which must see a serious reform.   So, the program’s plan for third   stage is to   see a    "Strengthened Governance, Management, and  Administration”. The education ministry will put in place a fully functional decentralized   secondary   education   management   system   in   all   zones, districts,   upazilas,   and schools for planning, budgeting, and   service delivery. It   would also support the transition to restructured school system as recommended by National Education Policy-2010, which proposed primary education from class I to VIII and secondary education from IX to XII. It is planned that class VI-VIII would come under primary education within the program period.
 For bringing quality in secondary level currently thirteen projects are running involving around Tk 25,000 crore. Due to the lack of coordination among these projects overlapping of works has become a common affair and the desired level of development has not yet been discerned. The proposed mega project is expected to bring all the running projects under its umbrella. 
The World Bank and ADB would provide $500 million each and the government will bear the rest expenditure and the donor agencies' contribution may be increased in future. We are waiting to witness a sea change in the quality hungry sector of education known as secondary levle and the government deserves thanks. 

The writer works for BRAC Education Programme , Email: [email protected] 

Massive plan to develop the quality of secondary education

Education experts have pointed out that the Bangladeshi students in general dont become equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills the present day demands

The quality of secondary education has appeared as a debatable issue for long but the response of the government voiced it differently. Education experts have pointed out that the students dont become equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills the present day demands and needs. Inadequate schools, heavy school curriculum, complex textbooks, outdated teaching methods and poor teaching-learning approaches, dropping out, teachers shortage and poor infrastructural facilities stand as major problems in this sector. The students coming out of government primary schools stand beyond the expected level of competencies. A national assessment of student learning showed that only 25 percent of Class 5 students achieved the expected competencies in Bangla and Math. Around 50 percent of eighth graders do not have expected level of competence in English and 46 percent of them lack proficiency in mathematics. The teacher-student ratio schools are trained, according to Bangladesh Education Statistics 2015 published by Bangladesh Bureau of Educational Information Statistics. Are they properly trained or do they use learners engaging techniques in the classroom? These are big questions. Actually problems barring the quality lie more and multifarious. With a view to addressing these questions the government is planning to introduce a massive program worth $16 for secondary education to transform the sector by improving the quality of education and developing employability skills of secondary graduates. This project titled Secondary Education Development Program will be the biggest-ever project in the countrys sector after the Tk 22,196-crore Third Primary Education Development Program launched in 2011. It is learnt that the government, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank will jointly finance this five-year program covering the entire secondary education. From January 2018 the program is going to be launched intending to cover grade VI to XII, annually supporting more than 1.2 crore students and 300,000 teachers from over 20,000 schools, 10,000 madrasas and 1,000 school-based vocational/technical institutions across the country. The reform areas under the program include teacher salary subsidies to non-government schools in the form of monthly payment order (MPO), teacher rationalization and performance management, institutionalization of learning assessments, curriculum and examinations, adolescent girls health and empowerment and transition of class VI-VIII to primary education. Enhanced Quality and Relevance of Secondary Education will be the first priority area of the project. Productivity of secondary graduates would be enhanced by developing their cognitive and technical skills so that they could succeed in job sector. The curriculum and textbooks for class IX to XII would be revised and a pre-vocational and vocational curriculum would be introduced in grades XI and XII to impart skills relevant to the national and international job market. Strengthening teachers quality and capacity would be one of the major focus areas. Reforms would be brought to the teacher management system through upgrading and delivering pre-service training and in-service training. A teacher performance management system would also be developed. A new examination system in class VIII, X and XII would be adopted to achieve improved classroom assessment and national learning assessment. Development of classrooms, water and sanitation facilities, science and computer labs, and other physical facilities will be improved. In order to strengthen school-based management, measures will be taken to enhance the capacity of head teachers by scaling up the National Academy for Education Management training program for them. An accountability mechanism would also be introduced at the school level. School salary and non-salary grant financing mechanism will be developed and implemented by 2018. Increased Equitable Access and Retention to Secondary Education will be the next focal area under which equitable access to secondary education and improving retention rate will be ensured. , especially in class VIII and X where the dropout rate is very high particularly among girls. The program will harmonize the currently implemented multiple stipends schemes with varying rates and modalities. It will give special attention to the adolescent girls and address the key issues causing their dropouts. Supplementary stipends will be provided and toilet and sanitation facilities will be ensured. Besides, counselling and awareness programs would be conducted at the school level on girls health, hygiene and empowerment. Governance, management and administration are the areas in secondary level which must see a serious reform. So, the programs plan for third stage is to see a Strengthened Governance, Management, and Administration. The education ministry will put in place a fully functional decentralized secondary education management system in all zones, districts, upazilas, and schools for planning, budgeting, and service delivery. It would also support the transition to restructured school system as recommended by National Education Policy-2010, which proposed primary education from class I to VIII and secondary education from IX to XII. It is planned that class VI-VIII would come under primary education within the program period. For bringing quality in secondary level currently thirteen projects are running involving around Tk 25,000 crore. Due to the lack of coordination among these projects overlapping of works has become a common affair and the desired level of development has not yet been discerned. The proposed mega project is expected to bring all the running projects under its umbrella. The World Bank and ADB would provide $500 million each and the government will bear the rest expenditure and the donor agencies contribution may be increased in future. We are waiting to witness a sea change in the quality hungry sector of education known as secondary levle and the government deserves thanks. The writer works for BRAC Education Programme , Email: [email protected]