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progetto co-finanziato dall’unione europea

FONDO ASILO, MIGRAZIONE E INTEGRAZIONE (FAMI) 2014-2020

ASIS – Accompagnamento scolastico all’integrazione socialePROG. 1278 – FAMI 2014-2020 – OS 2 – ON 2 – lett. c)

EDUCATION IN BANGLADESH

EDUCATION IN BANGLADESH

population

168.957.745 inhabitants

surface

145.570 km2

capital

Dhaka

religions

Islam (state religion), Hinduism, Buddhism, Christian-Catholic

official language

Bengali

Bangladesh is an Asian country located in the Bay of Bengal; it shares almost all its borders with India and a small part of the Southeast border with Myanmar.

Education is compulsory for a duration of 5 years, as from 6 years of age. In 2017, a reform process has started with the aim of extending the compulsory period gradually to 8 years.

Education can take place in public, private or religious private (madrasah) schools. Primary school is manly public, whereas the subsequent levels of education are mostly private, although broadly financed by the public budget.

The languages used for teaching are both Bengali and English. English is the teaching language as from secondary school (especially in non-religious private schools).

The school year coincides with the solar year (from January to December). This school year consists of 37 weeks. The duration of each lesson is of 30/35 minutes in average.

The education system is divided into the following levels:

This is for kids under 6 years of age and it exists exclusively in the big cities. It is offered almost exclusively by private institutions. As from 5 years of age, it is possible to pursue preparation courses for entering the compulsory cycle of education in primary education schools, in classes called “baby”.

PRE-PRIMARY EDUCATION

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As from 6 years of age, it is mandatory to attend primary school for 5 years. Primary school is divided into two types: of a general orientation and of religious orientation (Qwami madrasse).

The compulsory subjects in primary school are the official language (Bengali), English, mathematics, environmental studies, music, art, handicraft and physical education. As from the 3rd year, some subjects are added; these are sciences, social studies and religion (Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Christianism).

Madrasah schools is a recognised parallel religious school system where all the basic subjects are taught. Those which are financed by the public (madras Aliyah), receive mostly homeless children and provide them with food, shelter and education, and, together with the Islamic education, ensure a general modern education. The madrasah education system, during its first cycle (Ebtedayee), has a duration of 5 years equivalent to primary school. Other than the basic subjects of traditional schools, the taught subjects include Arabic and Urdu. After the fifth year, a very limited number of students (10% only) qualify to be promoted to the sixth year; this sixth year belongs to the following level (Dakhil), and it has a duration of 5 years equivalent to secondary school. However, these schools offer the possibility to pursue other 4 or 5 years of studies in the religious field exclusively with the aim of memorizing the Koran, for those students who have not passed to the sixth year.

For the first two years of primary school, children are always promoted, whereas from the third to the fifth year promotion is subordinated to the passing of annual exams. At the end of the first cycle, there is a final exam and those students who pass it are awarded a Diploma by the school. Moreover, there exists a second final exam, which allows the selection of the most suitable students for receiving a scholarship to continue studying in the secondary schools.

Only those who have completed the basic education cycle and have obtained the final diploma have access to secondary education. Secondary education is divided into three cycles. The first cycle (Junior Secondary Education) has a duration of three years and comprehends students from 11 to 14 years of age.

Other two years of secondary school are added to the latter and they finish with an exam. Those who pass the exam can enrol in the Higher Secondary School, also with a duration of two years.

The main subjects studied up to the 8th year are language, mathematics, sciences, religion, history, geography, civic education, home economy, environment, art and handicraft. For the 9th and 10th year, the courses of study are divided into three specializations: humanistic, scientific and technology/trade. Technology education comprehends, other than the basic subjects, the teaching of specific technical-

BASIC EDUCATION

SECONDARY EDUCATION

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professional oriented subjects related to agriculture, economy, engineering, medicine, textile and fabric technology. Recently, the teaching of IT has been deemed mandatory, although it is taught in only about fifty per cent of the schools.

The promotion to the following level depends on the result of exams held at the end of each semester. The first public exam is held at the end of the 10th year after which the student is awarded a Secondary School Certificate (SSC) that allows the access to the higher level of secondary school. At the end of the last two years of school (11th and 12th year), students sit for another exam with the aim of obtaining a Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC), which prepares students to access University. Students that have undergone a technical path are also awarded a Diploma in the chosen field, which allows the access to courses of a tertiary non-university level.

The education offered by the madrasah schools, after primary school (Ebtedayee), consists of a level of a duration of 5 years (Dakhil), equivalent to secondary school, and a subsequent level of a duration of 2 years (Alim), equivalent to High school. After this, it follows the Fazil, of duration of 3 years, equivalent to a Bachelor’s degree, and the Kamil, of a duration of 2 years, equivalent to a Post-University specialization.

In the madrasah schools, the following subjects are mandatory, according to the various levels: the Koran and the Hadith, law, the history of Islam, economy, physics, chemistry and biology.

Students who have attended all the high school cycle and have passed the final exam thus obtaining a High School Certificate, can access the Tertiary education level. This level is divided into University courses of an overall duration of 3 to 5 years, and Polytechnic and Professional Institute courses of a duration of 2 to 3 years. In the case of University, once a student obtains a Bachelor’s Degree, it is possible pursue a post-degree specialization course of a duration of 1 to 2 years, and therefore be able to access a research PhD of a duration of 3 years.

TERTIARY EDUCATION

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FOR MORE INFORMATION

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

http://old.moedu.gov.bd/

MINISTRY OF PRIMARY SCHOOL

http://www.mopme.gov.bd/

NATIONAL EDUCATION POLICY (2010)

http://old.moedu.gov.bd/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogsection&id=26&Itemid=262

UNESCO (2011), WORLD DATA ON EDUCATION DONNÉES MONDIALES DE L’ÉDUCATION, VII ED. 2010/11

http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0021/002112/211299e.pdf

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