Quality of primary education

• Teachers, trainers, supervisory officials are being trained regularly on the professional knowledge including pedagogy. The professionals associated with primary education in different capacities get the opportunities through training and orientation to update their knowledge about the national and international concepts on management, planning, curriculum, teaching methods and techniques, examinations and evolution of primary education.
• The Ministry of Primary and Mass Education (MOPME) has the responsibility to continuing the process of improving quality of primary education, ensuring supply of skilled manpower suitable for present trends, arranging training for the teachers, managers and supervisors at home and abroad, and arranging workshops, seminars, conferences and study tours. MOPME and the Directorate of Primary Education (DPE) regularly organize programmes for field level officials to involve them in the activities of different projects. Members of the community involved at the grassroots level (School Management Committee, Parent Teacher Association, Ward committee, Upazila Education Committee) are also given orientations regularly in order to make them aware about their tasks as well as the efforts of the Government.
• The Training Division of the Directorate of Primary Education assesses the training needs at national and field levels and is engaged in preparing and implementing training programmes. National Academy for Primary Education (NAPE), Upazila Resource Centres (URC) and the PTIs arrange the training of staff and teachers and conduct various professional training activities. Besides, training leaflets are used once in two months by the Assistant Upazila Education Officers to conduct continuous in service training for the teachers at sub-cluster levels. The training of teachers at the sub-cluster level has resulted in continuing improvement in the class-room teaching and in increasing participation of the community in school activities. It has been decided to reinforce training programmes at sub-cluster levels. A programme was initiated under Primary Education Development Programme (PEDP), with assistance from Asian Development Bank, Norwegian Government (NORAD) and UNICEF to continue this in-service training of teachers. A good number of modules have been developed to make sub-cluster training more effective.
• About 1,73,000 persons (teachers, teacher-trainers, officials and supervisors) were given training on competency-based curriculum. In Bangladesh there are 54 government and 1 non-government Primary Training Institutes (PTIs) to offer Certificate-in Education course to the primary school teachers. These institutes can train 10,500 teachers a year. Most of the teachers in the government schools have received C-in-Ed course. In order to make maximum utilization of the PTIs, teachers of registered non-government primary schools and community schools were brought under the training programme. In this regard, arrangements have been made to train 87,500 teachers of non-government schools and so far nearly 74,000 received training. Necessary steps were taken to increase the skills of PTI Instructors by exposing them to the recent trends in primary education. The C-in-Ed curriculum were revised and updated.
• One government primary schools in every Upazila has been converted into a model school. All resources are being mobilized to build up the school as an ideal primary school. 481 schools have been selected as Model Schools, This initiatives is likely to inspire other primary school to follow these model schools. which can be followed by the other schools.
  
  
• An extensive plan has been undertaken to develop the libraries of the Directorate of Primary Education, National Academy for Primary Education, and the PTIs. Already a scheme has been undertaken to build up a library in each of the Model Schools. In the project funded by NORAD, there is allocation of substantial funds for improving the libraries. In addition, supplementary reading materials are being provided to schools to enrich the school library.
• To enhance the quality op primary education, a number of projects have been undertaken. These projects include programmes to improve the infrastructure of training facilities, teaching methods and supervision. Intensive District Approach to Education for All (IDEAL) has focused mainly on improving quality by introducing innovative teaching techniques, improving management and monitoring at the field level and by reducing disparities at different areas and at different level. IDEAL has initiated an innovative teaching method called "Multiple Ways of Teaching and Learning (MWTL)" based on 'Multiple Intelligence' theory. This programme has already created considerable enthusiasn among the teachers & the parents as the learning became attractive to the children. Under IDEAL project micro-level planning exercise has been taken up involving the SMC, PTA, Teachers, students and mothers. On an experimental basis DPE is also implementing 'Concentrated Language Encounter (CLE)' approach to improve language teaching. DFID assisted "Effective Schools Through Enhanced Education Management" is also contributing significantly to improve management capacity at all levels and thus to make the schools effective.
• The National Academy for Primary Education is making consistent efforts to enhance the quality of primary education. The activities of the Academy include:

• Training of the Superintendents and Instructors of the PTIs;
• Training of the AUEOs, UEOs, DPEOs and other field officers;
• Development of Certificate-in-Education course that includes revision of C-in-Ed. Curriculum and Modules;
• Post-training monitoring, follow up and feedback with a view to improving the standard of training;
• Training courses in administration and management for the newly appointed officers;
• To undertake action research;
• The Academy is being upgraded and to make it a centre of excellence for studies and research at primary level;