Quality education is the touchstone that can change a country's fate forever. This may be at any stages of education--primary to tertiary level. But the current education system has proven ineffective largely. And that's why we should take into account immediately.
While talking about education the first thing comes that is the education scheme of that country. Is every person receiving their primary education? A good number of children is destroying their future by begging, moving for leading their lives, working in factories and garments. According to Article 17 of our constitution, all the children of our country are gave for receiving full free education up to secondary level. But what's going on in reality. A recent survey done by BRAC reveals that poor parents have to pay in every steps of their child's schooling.
Now the questions are where's the problem? It's the irresponsibility or liabilities of the children's, their parents or government or others? Statistics said that the literacy rate is 72.76 per cent in Bangladesh. Is this enough for a developing country? For growing up the country this lower rate has to be compensated broadly. We have to dig up the secret behind this. Another point has to be mentioned that, the rate of literacy is not everything. The quality of the education has to be considered. Quantity is trivial without quality. Otherwise development will be hampered vastly at every sector.
The education system lacks human resource and this has demoralized the primary education sector personnel, including teachers and contributes to poor performance. Again, the impoverished people are unable to carry the expensive. Unprivileged children's often suffer from poor health and nutrition. Since in our country the population is growing exponentially, we have to give importance on it and think alternative way to come forth from this hole.
Furthermore, the number of seats available in colleges is less than the number of students who want to enrol and the number of seats available in universities is also less than the required. Besides institutions cost is another factor that demotivated the persons for educations.
At the primary level, one big challenge has to face the right teacher-student ratio. Specialists say that this ratio should be 1:35, but our average is 1: 60. Deficiency of highly qualified teachers, fewer school facilities, dirty environment of the school, lesser classrooms, infrastructures, want of libraries and playgrounds, irresponsibility's of the teachers, governance of institutions are the vital reasons for poor rank education.
Gender discrimination occurs amongst the rural households but is non-existent amongst rich households. Poor school attendance and low contact time are schools are factors contributing to a low level of learning achievement.
Let's talk about the second term that is the environment for education. Recently, the most alarming issue is the question paper leaks of any public examinations--universities and medical entrance exam, job interview questions and most other sectors. So it can be said undoubtedly that the environment of education and education system has been hampered. Students don't study before the exam, because they know that the question will be leaked. Therefore their concentration and interest in the study has almost vanished. Another important point has to be noted here that, today's parents don't concentrate on their children's quality education, rather quantitative education. They force on their children's for standing decent result in examination instead of how well they learned it. The history behind GPA-5 is known to all.
There are no innovative ideas among teachers and students. Teachers have fulfilled his duty only by delivering lectures at the classrooms. They force the students to memorize the text only. So that students bypassing regular classroom-based assessments. Students concentrate more on guidebook rather than a textbook, for doing better in the exam, therefore the thinking power doesn't grow up among them. In most of the institutions, teachers don't maintain the class properly, for earning money through private centre. Even sometimes heard that teacher's threat the students that they will fail in the exam if don't go for private to the teachers.
The degradation of the environment of educational institutes has downturned the quality of education. And that's why the unemployment rate is so high in the country. The success of a country can never be imagined keeping this huge portion of unemployment. It can easily be said that this rate has to remove anyhow.
The quality and curriculum don't effectively serve the goals of human development and poverty eradication. And another most awkward problem is that our course curriculum or syllabus doesn't conform the job market. After completing degree, students have to prepare for jobs.
With introducing the problems we have to come forward to resolve the problems. The budgetary allocation should be increased for education because isn't adequate compared with those other South Asian and developing countries.
Teachers have to well-trained how to deliver lectures and find out the innovation amongst students, how to build-up well interactions between students and teacher. The relation between teacher and students should be made like friendly, so that students can express their opinion, can ask any questions, and can discuss any problems they faced. The lectures have to deliver with entertainment such that students felt interest on study. The job appointment corruptions have to eliminate anyhow. At all levels, teachers should be appointed based on merit and experience avoiding political also other considerations.
Through investing more money for educations we can ensure the primary educations of all the peoples. We have to ensure "No Child Left Behind" for developing an education system for children with learning disabilities. The exam system in public admission entrance has to be changed. Quality based questions have to introduce instead of memorizing based test.
Nowadays our economy is driven by three major sectors--export, remittance, and agriculture. If we can feed these branches with educated and skilled manpower it will reshape our economy and reduce poverty.
The writer is student of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE) University of Rajshahi
