Samir Ranjan Nath

This study explores and compares the role of Bangladesh’s universal preschool in enhancing learning achievement at the end of primary education before and after introducing a new policy. Children’s access to preschool has increased, and the learning achievement of the preschool non-participants’ decreased after introducing the new policy. The capability of the state-run provision, which creates the preschool opportunity for the majority of children, has increased with a small effect size. The private kindergartens continued to show better performance with no change over time. The challenges include creating opportunities for out-of-preschool children and quality improvement of some existing provisions.

Online education is a relatively new phenomenon in Bangladesh. Gathering data online during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, this study examines the response, readiness and challenges of on...

Evidence was generated from a cross-section of 5,375 students who were completing primary education in 2014, as well as from their parents and school heads, across 309 primary schools located throughout Bangladesh, a South Asian country belonging to the global lower-middle-income category. Though the official duration of preschool education in Bangladesh was one year, some private kindergartens offered such education for longer periods. Of the sampled students, 46.3% attended preschool education for one year, 10% attended for 2–4 years, and the remaining students had no preschool. The existing preschool education that was accessible to the majority of children had limited capability for enhancing competencies later in primary school (through Grade 5). Students with two or more years of preschool education were likely to achieve more primary school competencies than those who either did not have preschool education or had it for only one year. No difference was observed between the latter two groups of students. Students attending both preschool and primary education in private kindergartens showed the best performance on the competency-based learning achievement test. This study raises questions regarding both the quality and duration of existing preschool provision, recommending standardization and quality improvement.

Internalized HIV/AIDS-related Stigma in a Sample of HIV-positive People in Bangladesh

This paper examines the impact of pre-school education on learning achievement at primary level in Bangladesh. Evidence from learning achievement test and household and school-related data were obtained from 7093 pupils attending 440 primary schools in Bangladesh. Findings suggest that a small proportion (15.3%) of primary school pupils attended pre-school. Pupils from educated parents and well-off families were more likely to attend. In principle, however, attendance at pre-school did not predict later learning achievement at primary level, but a range of socio-demographic, school-related and additional educational factors did have an impact. It is concluded that further research is warranted to examine the quality of pre-school provision offered in Bangladesh and the qualifications of professionals working with young children in these centres.

Using the databases created under Education Watch, a civil society initiative to monitor primary and basic education in Bangladesh, this paper explores trends, socioeconomic differentials and cost in private supplementary tutoring among primary students and its impact on learning achievement. The rate of primary school students getting access to private supplementary tutoring is increasing at two percentage points per year and reached 31% in 2005. Incidence of private tutoring was greater among boys and urban students than respective counterparts. Educated parents and well‐off families were more likely to arrange supplementary tutoring for their children. A wide variation in the cost for private tutoring prevailed. The tutees spent 46% of their total private expenditure for education on supplementary tutoring. Supplementary tutoring helped students learn more than those who had no such support. Private tutors for primary school students have become a well‐accepted norm. Finally, a number of social implications are discussed.