Children’s access to pre‐school education in Bangladesh

Abstract

Using the Education Watch household survey database, this paper explores children's access to preschool education in Bangladesh. Participation in pre-school education has been increasing in Bangladesh at the rate of 0.6% per year and the net enrolment rate was found to be 13.4% in 2005. Enrolment of over-aged children in pre-school education made the gross enrolment ratio as high as 30.5%. However, over half of the four to five year olds at school were actually enrolled in primary school and not in pre-school. Moreover, 71% of the four-to five-year group were out of school. Only a third of the four-to five-year-old children enrolled in schools had the opportunity to attend the English-medium kindergartens or NGO-run non-formal schools, both of which provide better quality pre-school education. Urban children, especially those with educated parents and from more privileged socio-economic backgrounds, were more likely to have access to pre-school education. The lack of a common pre-school curriculum seems to have created further inequity among children at this very early age. An educational policy targeting poor and socially disadvantaged children with support from both the state and current pre-school providers is urgently needed to provide four-to five-year-old children appropriate education for their needs.

The role of pre-school education on learning achievement at primary level in Bangladesh

“…This was considered an important form of analysis because the country operates different models of pre-school education through various implementing bodies which are accessible to a small portion of the children. The government is, however, in the process of extending early years provision to make it available to all of pre-school aged children in the country (Government of Bangladesh 2010;Nath and Sylva 2007). Consistent with previous research, the findings reported here reveal that a very small portion of the children in this study had some experience of pre-school education before starting primary education (Nath and Sylva 2007).…”

“…The government is, however, in the process of extending early years provision to make it available to all of pre-school aged children in the country (Government of Bangladesh 2010;Nath and Sylva 2007). Consistent with previous research, the findings reported here reveal that a very small portion of the children in this study had some experience of pre-school education before starting primary education (Nath and Sylva 2007). More specifically, the results indicate that children living in urban areas and whose parents are educated and well-off are more likely to be enrolled in a pre-school programme.…”

“…By way of example, Bangladesh is a developing country with low rates of pre-school enrolment. An estimate shows that in 2005, among fourÁfive-year-old children the net enrolment rate was 13.4% and the gross enrolment ratio was 30.5% (Nath and Sylva 2007). The growth rate in enrolment was also estimated as 0.6% per year.…”

“…Many children in developing countries are exposed to multiple health and environmental risks including poverty, malnutrition, poor health and un-stimulating home environments which affect their overall development. Therefore, it is essential that they have access to enriched early years' programmes which lay the foundations for later learning and help children develop the key skills necessary for paid employment and participation in society (Nath and Sylva 2007;UNESCO 2007). …”

Early Childhood Education and Child Development Outcomes in Least Developed Countries: Empirical Evidence from Lao PDR

“…However, with limited budgets and chronic poverty, least developed countries face a huge disadvantage with regard to providing access to preschool education for lower income families and for children in remote areas. Bangladesh, for example, is a least developed country in which disadvantaged children have low rates of access to preschool education because, evidently, no department or ministry of education has taken seriously enough the issue of preschool education at the national level (Nath & Sylva, 2007). In Cambodia, for example, where Rao and Pearson (2007) examined childcare and education policies, 80 percent of Cambodians live in rural areas, yet almost no rural children are enrolled in early childhood education.…”