Education in Dhaka

Education levels in Bangladesh have remained relatively low but have steadily increased as poverty levels have decreased.  In 2001 the literacy rate was at 45.3% for both males and females above the age of 15. In 2007 it rose over eight percentage points to 53.5%. Although education and literacy rates have been improving there seems to be a gender gap as literacy rates among women are about 80% of those among men. The gender gap in education has slowly been decreasing within younger generations.

The Primary and Mass Education Division (PMED) provides management of primary education in Bangladesh.  They formulate the policies which are implemented by the Directorate of Primary Education (DPE).  The current Bangladesh education system consists of four levels: Primary (grades 1-5), Secondary (grades 6-10), Higher Secondary (grades 11-12), and Tertiary (colleges, universities, institutes of technology, and polytechnics). Typically education is mainly offered in Bengali, but English is also commonly taught and used, especially in the higher educational tiers.

In addition to the typical four-tiered education system in place in Bangladesh there are also a number of NGO-run schools which receive funds from the government. These schools are typically for drop-outs of the government and non-government primary schools. They tend to follow an informal approach to suit the special needs of the students, who are usually from vulnerable parts of society.

The city of Dhaka has created its own board of education called the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Dhaka. The structure of the education system follows that of the rest of Bangladesh. The city is home to the largest number of schools and colleges within the country. This includes 52 universities, more than any other Bangladesh city. Dhaka College, founded in 1840, is the oldest institution of higher education in the city and among the earliest established in British India. The University of Dhaka is the largest public university in the nation with over 30,000 enrolled students. Dhaka’s college campuses seem to be the root of many political conflicts and are home to many protests/strikes.

Sources

www.banbeis.gov.bd/bd_pro.htm

www.educationboard.gov.bd/dhaka/index.php

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7138123.stm

http://web.archive.org/web/20060904074222/

www.univdhaka.edu/fastFacts.php

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