As a nation, we still continue to underestimate the importance of a robust education system.
For another year running, Bangladesh’s budget allocation for the education sector remains woefully low, at a mere 2.2% of the GDP.
As was discussed at a recent Dhaka Tribune roundtable with representatives from five countries, it seems that we have failed to understand that, for any nation, the education it provides to its citizens is the root of its success, and not without reason.
Education is the foundation on which a country develops -- it is what ensures that our children and youth, who will inherit our country, have the knowledge required to succeed in the world and to contribute effectively to the progress of the nation.
Increased spending on education not only means that more people have access to schooling, but also that the quality of education improves, through better teachers, classrooms, and resources.
Inadequate funding for education is myopic on the part of any government. It must be remembered that money for development projects are all well and good, but our greatest investment should be in human beings.
Bangladesh has no doubt done much to improve this sector -- from increasing the literacy rate to over 70% to building technical education institutions all over the country -- and yet, problems plague our institutions, from question paper leakages, to unqualified teachers in our classrooms.
These problems can be overcome -- the long-term benefits of spending money on improving the education sector are worth it. It is high time we realized that, and invested properly in what matters most -- human beings.
