Napoleon Bonaparte famously said, "Give me an educated mother, and I will give you an educated nation." This powerful saying signifies the cruciality of education. Education is a great equalizer. It offers people the opportunity to change their social and economic position. It is the cornerstone of national development and a fundamental right guaranteed by our constitution in article( 21 A) . Despite this a large proportion of our population, especially in rural areas still lacks access to proper education. A child's journey toward becoming an enlightened individual and changing their position in society, begins in primary school. Like the foundation of any structure, primary schooling is considered the very basement of education. But what is the actual scenario for primary education quality across the country?
According to the ministry of primary and mass education there are approximately 118,607 primary schools in Bangladesh, of which 65,567 are government primary schools. We know Low-income families often, due to their economic condition, admit their children to these government schools at lower cost. But there raises serious questions about the quality of education, resources, and environment. Most of these schools lack good-quality teachers, an education-friendly atmosphere and robust teacher accountability. There is a severe shortage of qualified and motivated teachers. Many skilled educators are unwilling to relocate to remote areas due to a lack of incentives, poor salary scale, living conditions, and limited career progression opportunities. Furthermore, teacher absenteeism is continuous , leaving classrooms unattended for a long duration. Even recently there have found a case of a teacher's continuous absenteeism with ensuring proxy by a recruited person.
On the other hand, students in urban areas, particularly from high-income families can access better schooling.They take schooling in private school. Most of these institutions have more efficient teachers and superior classroom facilities. They do not face such adverse situations and can develop skills far better than rural students who lack these resources. Urban students have access to computers, high-speed internet, and a scope of digital learning tools. Most rural students have none of these. This is rendering them unskilled and unfacilitated compared to urban students. Consequently, village students who subsequently manage to access higher education by diligence also face difficulties there.
This isn't just an educational crisis; it's a social and economic issue. We are effectively cultivating two different classes of citizens. One is equipped with the skills , opportunities and confidence to lead, innovate . The other is left to contend with limited opportunities, reinforcing intergenerational cycles of poverty although potentiality to flourish. This inequality is a critical obstacle to our nation's ambition of becoming a developed country by 2041.To bridge this chasm a fundamental policy reset is required to shift the focus back to education as a public good and a fundamental right which to be accessible for rich and poor irrespectively.
First, the government must significantly increase the education budget. The present rate is 12.1% of the total budget whereas UNESCO suggests an education budget of 15-20%. The government should allot these funds specifically for upgrading rural school infrastructure. Like building modern classrooms, ensuring sanitation, and most critically, bridging the digital divide with computers with internet connectivity.
Second, teaching in rural areas needs to make a prestigious and attractive career. This requires a comprehensive package of financial incentives, dedicated housing, and clear pathways for career advancement for teachers who serve in remote communities. If this is done, meritorious graduates will be more inclined to join the teaching profession which will contribute to bridge this chasm of opportunity. To stop the private coaching business from dictating educational success, we must restore integrity and quality to the classroom. This means improving teacher training, ensuring accountability, and providing adequate learning materials so that supplementary tutoring is no longer a necessity.
The state must reassert its role as the primary guarantor of quality education for all its citizens, not just for those who can pay. A nation's future cannot be built on a foundation of inequality. The potentiality of a child in a village is no less than that of a child in the city. The time to invest in all our children equitably and justly.
The writer is a student of Political Science , Dhaka University
