The education systems of Bangladesh have long since left their stymied past and now look forward to a brighter future. The government has made education of the masses one of their top priorities and as such has set up a number of programs and initiatives designed to help the people of Bangladesh obtain a fairly good level of education regardless of gender or class.

In the past, Bangladesh education was primarily an English-controlled upper-class affair with all courses given in English and very little being done for the common people. The Bangladesh education board has taken massive steps to leave such practises in the past and are looking forward to education as a way to provide a somewhat poverty stricken nation with a brighter future.

Currently the education system is divided into 4 levels or stages. The first is the Primary level which incorporates grades 1 to 5. The second is Secondary level which covers grades 6 to 10. Then there is a Higher Secondary level which consists of grades 11 and 12. If a student wishes to pursue further studies, tertiary education institutions are available. There are 11 government universities in Bangladesh and some 20 private universities which provide tertiary education. Students can choose to further studies in engineering, technology, agriculture and medicine. At a variety of universities and colleges.

At all levels of schooling, students can choose to receive their education in English or Bengali. Private schools tend to make use of English-based mediums while government-sponsored schools use Bengali mediums of study. There is a third brand of study that is usually made use of by the very poor or orphaned. The Religious Branch of education is a sort of religious schooling system and teaches all the basics of education in a religious environment. Similar in some ways to the priory system of Christianity, these Madrasa take in countless homeless children and provide them with food, shelter and education. Religious studies are taught in Arabic and the children also usually serve the related Mosques.

Current projects to promote the education of children in Bangladesh include compulsory primary education for all, free education for girls up to grade 10, stipends for female students, a nationwide integrated education system and a food-for education literacy movement. A large section of the country’s national budget is set aside to help put these various programs into action and to promote education and make it more accessible. Recent years has seen efforts pay off and the Bangladesh education system is strides ahead of what it was only a few short years ago.

Filed under: Education