Educating the future: Raising the quality of primary schooling in Bangladesh

This study investigates the low quality of primary school education in Bangladesh.. Literature and elite interviews suggest that GOB (Government of Bangladesh) primary schools fail to provide students with quality education, demonstrate poor teacher performance, have: overcrowded classrooms, and weak management and administration. Quantitative analysis of' parents with primary-aged children reveals that of the four principal primary schooling options available. GOB public primary schools are more likely than other primary schooling options to exhibit components of poor quality. Findings indicate that parents are equally concerned about male and female education; that administration functions are of concern, and that poverty is an overarching barrier to attendance and retention rates. The important policy message is the need for establishing a system of accountability of school performance to parents and communities. All stakeholders, in turn, should be involved in partnerships affecting primary school conditions.