Despite remarkable success in recent years in the primary education sector, corruption is still a major hindrance to its progress, said participants in an advocacy programme held Wednesday.
The Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) arranged the programme with teachers, officials and members of primary school management committees at district and upazila level.
Corruption in constructing school buildings, opaque processes in recruiting teachers and officials, and fee collection from students despite the provision of free access to primary education were some of the varied forms of corruption in the sector, they said.
Field-level educational officials said there was no provision for transferring grade III-IV employees, who often get involved in corruption.
The discussants highlighted some short-term targets to achieve in the sector increasing enrollment to 98%, decreasing dropout rate to 29%, and having 58% female teachers at primary schools.
Primary and Mass Education Minister Afsarul Amin said the ministry had been trying hard to meet the challenges and in many cases the government had been successful in solving the problems.
TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman said it was true that the country had limited resources but it was appalling to see the education sector getting less priority than the defence.
He said: “We have a lack of playgrounds in schools but a huge field has been allotted for a golf stadium.”
If education suffers, the defence sector would suffer too as it would struggle to find skilled personnel, he added.
TIB Chairperson Sultana Kamal said a lack of good governance in primary education was no different from the forms of corruption prevailing in all other sectors.
