Before getting independence, Bangladesh was part Pakistan and the primary medium of instruction in the schools were English and Urdu. As Bangla is the national and most widely spoken language of the country at present, Bangla and English have become the main mediums of instruction in Bangladesh.
The education system in Bangladesh is characterized by the co-existence of three separate streams. The mainstream happens to be a vernacular based secular education carried over from the colonial past. There also exists a separate system of religious education. Finally, based on use of English as the medium of instruction, another stream of education, modeled after the British education system, has rapidly grown in the metropolitan cities of Bangladesh.
The three main educational systems in Bangladesh, ordered by decreasing student numbers, are:
General Education System
Madrasah Education System
Technical - Vocational Education System
Other systems include a Professional Education System.
Each of these three main systems is divided into four levels:
Primary Level (years 1 to 5)
Secondary Level (years 6 to 10)
Higher Secondary Level (years 11 and 12)
Tertiary Level
Primary Level:
Primary Education has been made compulsory for children aged 6-10 years by an Act (1990). The compulsory primary education means - "Unless there is a valid ground, the guardian of each child living in an area where primary education has been made compulsory, shall, for the purpose of giving primary education, have his/her child admitted to the nearest primary education institution located in that area"
One or two year pre-primary education is imparted in private schools/kindergartens, and informally in government primary schools for six months. Five-year compulsory primary education for the 6-10 age group is imparted mainly in government and non-government primary schools.
In metropolitan cities, however, government and non-government primary schools cater to the educational needs mainly of the poorer sections of the people, as the better-off families usually send their children to Private English Medium schools/ secondary schools that run primary sections as well. There, however, exist some NGO-run non-formal schools catering mainly for the dropouts of the government and non-government primary schools.
Secondary and higher secondary education:
The secondary and higher secondary level is between year 6 and year 12. This level is further divided into two sub-levels - the secondary and the higher secondary. The schools in the lower secondary levels have students from year 6 to year 10. The schools in the higher secondary level are called "colleges".
There are two nationwide public examinations in this level. The first one is the Secondary School Certificate examination, conducted at the end of year 10. The other is the Higher Secondary Certificate examination, conducted at the end of year 12. These examinations are conducted by the seven education boards located in Barisal, Chittagong, Comilla, Dhaka,Jessore, Rajshahi, and Sylhet.
Secondary education:
On completion of primary education, students (11+) enroll for junior secondary education that spans 3 years. At the end of this phase of education, some students branch out to join the vocational stream, offered at Vocational Training Institutes (VTI) and Technical Training Centres (TTC) run by the Ministry of Education (MOE), and the Ministry of Labour and Employment respectively. Students in the mainstream continue in government and non-government secondary schools for a two-year secondary education in their respective areas of specialization (e.g. humanities, science, commerce etc.) At the end of their secondary education, the students sit for their first public examination (SSC) (10th Grade) under the supervision of the six education boards.
The students of "Madrasah Education System" stream also sit for their respective public examinations, Dakhil level (10th Grade), conducted by the Madrasah Education Board.
The students of general education system's English medium streams also sit for their respective public examinations, 'O' level, conducted by London/Cambridge University, facilitated by the British Council.
Students of technical & vocational stream also sit for their public examination, SSC (vocational) (10th Grade) after a two-year period of study, conducted by the Bangladesh Technical Education Board.Madrasah Education System:
The national government supported Islamic education at several levels. In the late 1980s, efforts were being made to modernize the madrasa (school of religious education attached to a mosque) system and to introduce secular subjects in the madrasa curriculum under the Bangladesh Madrasa Education Board. In 1986 there were 4,118madrasas and 638,926 students under the aegis of the government-supervised system. By 1985 forty madrasas had been established for female students.
Unfortunately, the Islamic studies and Arabic teachers in the general stream have no scope for any training. Moreover, the teachers of Arabic language and literature, Al-Quaran, Tafsir, Al-Hadith, Fiqh etc. in the madrasas have no scope or mechanism for any sort of pedagogical and andragogical training.
Tertiary education in Technical Education System:
In the Technical Education System, students can further pursue their educational carrier for obtaining a Bachelor degree from Engineering & Technology Universities, which offer two and a half to three year long courses for students with a Diploma-in-Engineering degree, to obtain a Bachelor degree (undergraduate degree) (16th Grade) in Engineering. Then they can enroll into post-graduate studies.
The major higher education institutions in Bangladesh include: degree-level liberal arts colleges affiliated to a recently established affiliating university (The Bangladesh National University), publicly supported universities including a University of Engineering and Technology and Agricultural Universities, private Universities established under the Non-government Universities Act (Act 34 of 1992), autonomous institutes of technology, previously called engineering colleges, agricultural colleges, medical colleges, dental colleges, teachers' training colleges, colleges of physical education, college of textile technology college of leather technology.
There is, also an Open University established under Act 38 of 1992. While each of the other universities conducts its own examinations, the Bangladesh National University is responsible for conducting bachelor's and master's examinations of the affiliated degree colleges throughout the country.
The Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE):
Under the overall supervision and guidance of the Ministry of Education (MOE), the Secondary and Higher education system of Bangladesh is being managed and administered by the Directorate of Secondary & Higher Education (DSHE).The Directorate is headed by a Director General who is responsible for administration, management and control of secondary and higher education including madrashas (institutions imparting religious education) and other special types of education.
Vision and Mission of DSHE:
DSHE is working towards providing educational facilities available to all to produce enlightened people who can contribute to the development of Bangladesh vis-a-vis poverty alleviation and attain the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) by 2015. In order to address the issues at the secondary and higher levels, DSHE is focusing on quality improvements and specific actions to raising the quality of service delivery and improving equity of access in secondary and higher education.
The Role & Responsibilities of DSHE:
The role and responsibilities of DSHE includes the following:
•To implement the education policy of the Government in respect to secondary (Class 6-Class 10), higher secondary (Class 11-12) and higher education (Bachelors and Masters).
•To assist the Ministry of Education in formulating policies concerning secondary, higher secondary & higher education of the country.
•To promote and maintain quantitative and qualitative standard of education.
•To help evaluate and assess the need for changes in curriculum at different levels of education.
•To prepare revenue and development budgets and maintain accounts of all the institutions and making arrangements for auditing.
•To co-ordinate and provide support to all types of educational institutions.
•To administer recruitment, posting, transfer, promotion, retirement, disciplinary cases of the officers and employees working under the administrative control of the Directorate.
•To make proposals of development projects and monitor and supervise the activities under the development projects.
• To arrange training programs both at home and abroad for the teachers and officials working in different educational institutions (DSHE, colleges, schools, training institutes and projects etc.).
•To provide information on educational matters to the related agencies and organizations.
•To liaise with different departments and organizations of the government.
Tertiary education management:
At the tertiary level, universities are regulated by the University Grants Commission. The colleges providing tertiary education are under the National University. Each of the medical colleges is affiliated with a public university. Universities in Bangladesh are autonomous bodies administered by statutory bodies such as Syndicate, Senate, Academic Council, etc. in accordance with provisions laid down in their respective acts.
While many of the developing countries are trying to spend 6% of their GDP in education, expenditure in Bangladesh education was mere 2.5%of GDP in 2004. In order to put the country in the path of progress and development, it is very important to increase the budget expenditure in education of Bangladesh and undertake important reforms.
Education System in Bangladesh is being managed and administered by two Ministries, Ministry of Education (MoE) and Ministry of Primary and Mass Education Division (MOPME) in association with the attached Departments and Directorates as well as a number of autonomous bodies. Ministry of education is concerned with policy formulation, planning, monitoring, evaluation and execution of plans and programs related to post primary, secondary and higher education including technical & madrasha education. The line directorates, viz. Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education and
