JBS Vol 09. Num 1. 2007 - Education in Bangladesh: The Vision for 2025

Noting the assessment of the Education for All (EFA) Global Monitoring Report 2005 that Bangladesh (along with other South Asian countries) is not on track to achieve the modest 2015 EFA goals and similar U.N. Millennium Development Goals, this paper highlights the major deficiencies in the national education system. Deficits in aspects of access to basic education opportunities and establishment of quality standards and their enforcement are identified as the major problem areas. An attempt is made in the paper to construct a vision for the development of education in the next two decades. Fulfilling the vision would call for overcoming the current key deficits and setting and pursuing specific goals for the future. These goals, priorities and strategic actions are indicated in respect of minimum acceptable quality in education, significant improvement in access and participation in education, adoption of bilingualism as a strategic education goal with a high level of proficiency in Bangla and English to be achieved by the completers of secondary education, putting ICT to use in education, rethinking education governance and management, and ensuring availability of a threshold level of resources and their effective use. In conclusion, a consensus-forming process in favor of the vision is recommended. It is suggested that a group of distinguished and concerned citizens could take the lead in facilitating the dialog.