Readymade garments and foreign remittances are the two top earning sectors in Bangladesh. In recent years, Government of Bangladesh has taken multiple initiatives to build Medicine as the new economic sector. Bangladesh has been exporting medicines to quite a large basket of countries, while Ceramic and Cement manufacturing industries are on the line to be recognized as key economic sectors. However, due to extreme challenges stemming from poor industrial governance, increasing cost of raw materials, and political instabilities in remittance-earning countries (mostly oil-rich Middle Eastern countries), Bangladesh has been through unexpected adjustments in monetary, fiscal and development budgets.
As the country has recently passed above the low-income country benchmark, and marking its step into becoming a middle-income country, it must realize the full potential of an integrated education system. The GOB has initiated digital transformation and continuously supported "Technology and Education" as one of the largest recipients of budgetary allocation for a number of years. However, realizing the dreams of millions of post-university job-seekers, the budget and the planning have missed a holistic approach.
As the figures speak, Bangladesh's allocation for education sector is much lower than its neighbours. In 2019-20 budget, the parliament passes countries largest budget ever, worth of BDT 5,23,190 Crores. With an unprecedented 8.2 per cent yearly growth in mind, the annual development program of the budget kept 24.5 per cent for Human Resources development in education, health and allied sectors. From the budget, 4.59 per cent is allocated for primary education, 5.66 per cent is for secondary and tertiary levels, and 1.42 per cent for Madrasah and technical education.
Comparing these figures, as in amount and prioritization of the amount, it will be clear how neighbouring country India kept surprising the world delivering world class Chief Executive Officers for top companies (PepsiCo, Microsoft, Google to name a few), while Bangladesh is still struggling to maintain adequate higher education standard. India has boasted 16 reputable universities among the top 100 universities ranked by the Asia University Ranking, 2016, while Bangladesh represented a staggering three universities at the bottom of the table.
As of 2018, Bangladesh's allocation to education budget matches only that of Pakistan which invests a meagre 2.4 per cent of its GDP in education. Meanwhile countries such as Indonesia and Philippines reserve the highest percentage allocation of the total budget for their education sectors. According to Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) issued on July 2017, the Department of Budget and Management (BDM) of the Philippines announced that for the year 2018, the highest allocation of PHP 691.1 billion, a 27.2 per cent increase from the previous year 2017, will be assigned to education.
Malaysia on the other hand, which has debatably become one of the most sought after education destinations in Asia, ranked no. 43 in the World Report's 2017 rankings for Best Countries for Education, spent MYR 15 billion, an equivalent of 3.8 million USD, in 2015 on 'higher education' alone. Moreover, the Malaysian Ministry of Education spent a total of MYR 56.63 billion in the year 2015 and MYR 52.4 billion in the year 2017 on developing class rooms, curriculums and importing top-notch faculties from around the globe, at all levels of education.
Thailand, which already boasts a robust tourism sector, invested as much as 19.35 per cent of its total government budget, an equivalent of USD 16 billion, on education in 2015, which surpassed even the amount spent by Singapore in the same year. It is of no doubt that Asia, as a whole is in pursuit of developing their educational sector as the economic value proposition and is set to compete with their Western counterparts in becoming the next education destination which will pour-in revenues from all over the world.
Amid criticisms on question papers and quality of text books, the GOB has enjoyed some happy moments delivering new books to students on the first day at school. When examination at the primary schools received negative global attention, several changes in the country's examination system certainly demolished the "digitalization" and "free text books" attempts by the GOB. Also, merely placing computers in schools cannot help the country's education system surviving the forthcoming challenges. A $20 (approximate) custom clearance fee charged while receiving your own book in Bangladesh seems to be a real hurdle in the process of realizing an efficient education system.
Such an efficient education system delivers three integrated outputs. These are: 1) new skills for students and teachers, 2) innovation for the industry, and 3) connectivity with and development of other allied sectors. As funding for education system is at stake, most developing countries are shifting their focus to an entrepreneurial education system. Much of the attentions are catered to the needs of creating jobs, rather than graduates looking for jobs. Secondary and tertiary level institutions consider crowdfunding and start-up initiatives into their curriculum. Education system is turning to be project-based, leaving the traditional year-end examination-centric system. Such a system does not only create challenging skills, but also delivers new directions for the industry.
Connectivity perhaps is one of the important and equally overlooked dimensions of efficient education system in most developing nations. Bangladesh, in our opinion, is leading that sacrifice. Taking examples from India, Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia in recent days, both eco- and medical tourism are wonderfully integrated into education system. Great tourism destinations are gradually becoming education hubs. These destinations have successfully connected their education hubs with markets, hospitals, and real estates, using efficient transportation systems.
Realizing the above three deliveries are challenging. Investment in education and infrastructure are equally important. Training of lecturers, from ground-up, transforming classrooms into learning hubs, and developing world-class contents are of great importance. The GOB has started ensuring few of these. World Bank, National University of Bangladesh, University of Nottingham (Malaysia Campus) came forward to train thousands of college lecturers from Bangladesh. While it is a great initiative, certainly should not be the end. Some foreign universities are awaiting approval from the GOB to enter Bangladesh market. These institutions can help expanding the skill horizon of students significantly.
As LaRocque (2007) stated, countries that gave individuals one additional year of education, boosted their economic output by 3 per cent to 6 per cent. With a mammoth 163 million people, human capital development is the best way to survive future economic challenges for Bangladesh. With the upcoming disruptive technological and climactic challenges, Bangladesh needs to transform its human resources from low earning remittance workers to mid-to-high-skilled knowledge workers. A serious revamping of the education system is a prerequisite to achieve this transformation. Consequently, some dynamic changes in and creative allocation of budget in education sector are of utmost importance.
Aysha Chowdhury is an independent researcher based in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Mamunur Rashid is a senior assistant professor of Universiti Brunei Darussalam
