DHAKA, Oct 6, 2018 (BSS/UNICEF FEATURE) – Female students are equally
advancing with their male counterparts as the government is gradually
widening stipends for promoting girls education in the country, experts said.
As providing stipend has produced very impressive outcome for promoting
girls education, it has been expanded up to degree level to help female
students continue their studies, they added.
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, the education
campaigners 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 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 the family level at first to promote female education at higher education
level. A social movement is needed to stop early marriage as this menace
ruins the bright future of many adolescent girls,” she added.
Md Alamgir, secretary of Technical and Madrasah Division, 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
children to schools to make them worthy citizens of the country.
The number of female students at higher education has increased
significantly; Dr Alamgir 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 is 47 percent. The number of girl students is also higher
compared to male ones at the madrasa education with 54 percent enrolment,
BANBEIS added.
Sources at the Education Ministry said under the social safety-net
programme, the government is providing stipends to girl students through
mobile banking to check drop-out rate at educational institutions and stop
early marriages.
From the fiscal years 2009-2010 to 2017-2018, the government has
distributed Taka 5,313 crores 30 lakhs and 90 thousands among 2 crores 89
lakhs, 8 thousands and 921 students from primary to higher secondary levels,
the education ministry sources 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.