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Article 17 of the Bangladesh Constitution stipulates that the state shall establish a uniform, mass-oriented, and universal system of education, extending free and compulsory education to all children up to a stage as determined by law. The National Education Policy 2010 aims to provide free and compulsory education up to Class VIII. However, in reality, the education system is neither uniform nor is education a common public good anymore.
Three major parallel streams of education - national curriculum, religious-based madrasa curriculum, and foreign curriculum-based English medium - have become so deeply entrenched and institutionalised that envisioning a uniform education system is all but fantasy. Furthermore, the constitutional mandate for providing free and compulsory education has also turned out to be a chimera. Rampant commercialisation has driven up the cost of education to such an extent that low-and-middle-income families are increasingly finding it difficult to bear educational expenses for their children.
A recent study conducted by Education Watch brings to light the mounting financial pressure faced by families trying to secure a better future for their children. According to the study, the cost of education in Bangladesh is skyrocketing for both primary and secondary school students. The survey conducted on 7000 students found that education expenses jumped by 25 per cent for primary school students and a staggering 51 per cent for secondary school students during the first half of 2023, compared to the same period in 2022.
For example, in 2022 families spent Tk 13,882 on average per year on a primary school student's education. This figure had already reached Tk 8,647 for the first six months of 2023, indicating a sharp rise in expenses within a shorter period. The situation is even more concerning for secondary school students. While the average annual cost for a secondary-level student was Tk 27,340 in 2022, families had to spend Tk 20,712 in the first half of 2023 alone. These findings underscore the relentless surge in costs is rendering education unaffordable for many.
So, why is education, which is supposed to be provided by the state free of cost for all children - and provided in the Constitution as their right - becoming increasingly expensive? The answer may be found in inadequacy as well as lackluster performance of government educational institutions, which led to mushroom growth of private schools. The situation is particularly dire in Dhaka city, where even poor housemaids hesitate to enroll their wards in government schools because of the popular belief 'there is no 'real' education to be gained in government schools.' Astonishing as this may sound, a recent news report mentions that even the teachers of government primary schools in Dhaka send their own children to private schools in the hope of receiving a better education. That is similar to a chef not eating his own cooked food because it is not good.
Meanwhile, private investors in crucial service sectors like healthcare and education have a propensity to view everything in terms of profit and loss, and they are failing to contribute to society with an unselfish spirit. Private educational institutions are quite welcome - some famous educational institutions of the world are private - but private is not the same thing as profit-based.
The private institutions are expected to be backed by some foundation or endowment and not to depend on tuition fees alone. The fact here is that most of the private educational institutions - be it school or university - are mere commercial ventures aimed to exploit education for profit. Things have come to such a pass that those who do not have enough money will not get quality healthcare and their offspring will be deprived of quality education. Efficient regulatory measure, therefore, is a must to curb the exploitation of education for profit and streamline public educational institutions.
Another disturbing aspect is the mercenary attitude of teachers. Although the government has increased the salary of teachers, many of them can still be found giving more time in private tuitoring and coaching than teaching in classrooms. A section of teachers allegedly do not teach properly in classrooms, but hold back to promote their sideline mentoring business to maximise their private earnings. As a result, teaching in schools is being overshadowed by private tuition and coaching centres. It seems that schools only exist to conduct exams and issue certificates, while the actual teaching and learning are done in private tuition/coaching centres, robbing educational institutions of their sacred duty. Teaching outside to the neglect of their primary duty should not be condoned and must stop. The limitation imposed by the Education Ministry on teachers to refrain them from coaching business is not working much to the detriment of the children and the nation at large.
In light of these pressing challenges, urgent action is needed to salvage the crisis-ridden education sector before it completely falls into decay. Firstly, the education system must be freed from political interference and commercial exploitation. Secondly, efforts should be directed towards revitalising public educational institutions and making them more vibrant and conducive to learning. Lastly, emphasis should be placed on strengthening the mainstream medium of education to ensure equitable access for all.
The escalating cost of education poses a grave threat to the future of the country's youth and the prosperity of the nation as a whole. Unless decisive action is taken to address the root causes of this crisis, the dream of education will remain out of reach for many, perpetuating a vicious cycle of inequality and violation of the fundamental rights of children, especially from disadvantaged families.
Education is the backbone of a nation. If the process of receiving education becomes too expensive, lower and middle-class people may be discouraged from pursuing their children's education. Many may even decide to stop sending their children to school altogether and put them in the workforce to bring home income, thus stymieing all efforts to reduce child labour. The authorities, therefore, should focus on increasing the quality of education in public educational institutions and regulating the private ones to stop the commercialisation of education.