The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Under the supervision and leadership of the Advancing Public Interest Trust (APIT), 15 non-governmental development organisations at a press briefing in the city warned that after passing more than half-way of the time span of the government's secondary Primary Education Development Programme (PEDP-II), the reality is somewhat shocking. "If the present situation continues, the target to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is not at all possible by 2015," they said.

The drop out rate has increased to 47 per cent in 2006 from the base of 33 per cent in 2002. Still the survival rate is 52.9 per cent, coefficient efficiency was 61.8 per cent, transition rate of primary to secondary education declined from 92.4 per cent in 2003 from 83.3 in 2004, they added.

Based on grassroots review jointly organised by the 15 development organisations working in the area of primary education, some micro-level findings were presented in the briefing on 'Grassroots Review on PEDP-II Implementation' held at Dhaka Reporters Unity auditorium yesterday.

Speakers criticised the PEDP's dependence on the foreign consultants on whom US $16.6 million is to be spent.

They emphasised on incorporating Bangladeshi expertise in this regard.

They pointed out that the quality education outcome of learners is not measured yet. Primary school quality level and key performance indicators have missed this. They urged the government for involving civil society and multi-stakeholders in the processes like planning the Mid Term Review (MTR), framing the terms of reference and it's endorsing.

Sabbir Bin Shams, Executive Director of APIT, Jibon Dey Shyamal, Coordinator of Advocacy for Quality Primary Education of Sabalamby Unnayan Samity (SUS), Mohammad Rayhan Sharif, Policy Analyst and Maliha Shahjahan, Director, Research and Policy Audit of APIT, among others, spoke, while Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, Executive Director of COAST, moderated the briefing.

In the context, speakers put forward an open appeal to the PEDP-II, implementing agencies for the sake of free, high quality and relevant education for all children in the country based on the needs and experiences of the children, their families and communities.

Speakers underscored the need for learners' perspective that should be reflected more in the PEDP-II planning, review mechanism and implementation processes.

Advancing Public Interest Trust (APIT), AOSED, BACE, Bottola Foundation, Coastal Association for Social Transformation Trust (COAST), Esho Desh Gori, The Innovators, Interaction, National Forum of Organisations Working with Disabled (NFOWD), NRDS, Other Vision Communication (OVC), SUS, Solidarity Uttaran, Wave Foundation and Zabarang Kalyan Samity jointly organised the briefing.