Overview
Bangladesh is a poverty-stricken country where more than half of the children grow up without education. Their families are poor; there are not enough schools; what schools do exist, often lack adequate facilities, equipment and effective teachers. These problems are often worse in rural areas where three out of four Bangladeshis live.
Bangladesh’s public spending on education ranks among the lowest in the world. Private funds for education in rural Bangladesh are extremely limited. Without education, children from villages are trapped in a vicious cycle of poverty. As of 2009, male literacy in Bangladesh is 54% and female literacy is 32%.
There are three levels of education in Bangladesh – primary, secondary and higher. Primary education is free in Bangladesh, yet only 85% of children are enrolled. Sadly, only 17 out of 100 children finishing primary education move on to the secondary level (high school). Out of these 17, about 9 drop out of school before finishing the secondary level. More drop out before taking the high-school ending nationwide exam. Thus, only 4 out of 100 children graduate from high school in rural Bangladesh.
VAB addresses these issues with a host of innovative programs. Please see VAB’s programs.
“Over 42 percent of registered candidates for SSC and equivalent certificates dropped out this year even before the examinations begin tomorrow, due to a plethora of social and financial obstacles…One of the main causes of the high dropout rate is families’ financial inability to bear their children’s educational expenses, a study by the Dhaka board claims.”
Published February 14, 2009