Affirmative action promotes girl education: experts

Affirmative action of the government has made an important contribution to advancement of girl education in the country, education experts said.

Bangladesh has achieved impressive progress in ensuring access to and attaining gender parity at the primary and secondary levels as a result of sincere efforts made by government and non-government actors, they added.

Rasheda K Choudhury, Executive Director of Campaign for Popular Education (CAMPE), said, "Affirmative action and strong political will are key factors for advancing girls` education across the country."

The government is providing stipends to girl students at the secondary level, which is encouraging them to continue their studies, she added. Alongside the government`s initiatives, NGOs and non-government actors are also making good contribution to promoting of female education through creating awareness and motivating the people, Rasheda added.

Although girl education has advanced at primary and secondary levels, the number of female students is still low at higher education level compared to their male counterparts, she added.

Rasheda blamed patriarchal mindset and trend of early marriage for lower rate of female education at the tertiary level. "We should change our mindset at family level at first to promote female education at higher education level. A social movement is needed to stop early marriage as this menace ruin bright future of many adolescent girls," she added.

Director General of Directorate of Secondary and Higher Secondary Level Prof. Dr SM Wahiduzzaman attributed advancement of female education at both primary and secondary levels to providing stipends and giving special attention to English, Mathematics and Science education through meritorious teachers.

He observed that guardians are eager to send their both male and female students to schools to make worthy citizens of the country.

The number of female students at higher education has increased significantly, Dr Wahiduzzaman said adding, "Now the percentage of female students at higher education is 45 percent."

He said, "A significant change has been brought in expansion of female education in the country as the government has made various facilities including financial assistances to boost female education." Now both male and female students are equally advancing in the education sector, he also added.

According to the 2015 statistic of Bangladesh Bureau of Educational Information and Statistics (BANBEIS), percentage of girl students at the primary level is 51 while the rate of male students is 49.

At the secondary level, enrolment rate of girl students is 53 percent while male students 47 percent. The number of girl students also is higher male ones at the madrasa education with 54 percent enrolment, BANBEIS added.

Sources at the Education Ministry said nearly 1.17 crore students at primary, secondary and higher education levels are getting stipends every year. The government is costing approximately Taka 1,900 crore each year to provide stipend facilities to 1.17 crore students, they added.

In the fiscal year 2014-2015, a total of 2,09,316 students at degree and equivalent levels have been selected for stipends with Taka 1,14,03,55,920 under Prime Minister`s Education Assistance Trust Fund.

Of the total, 1,70,443 are female students and 38,873 male, the education sources said.

Source : BSS