Education Watch 2016

[Pages:54]Education Watch 2016

Literacy, Skills and Lifelong Learning

SDG4 in Bangladesh: Where are we?

Overview of the Main Report

Samir Ranjan Nath A Mushtaque R Chowdhury

December 2016

Published by Campaign for Popular Education (CAMPE)

In cooperation with Delegeation of the European Union to Bangladesh

First Edition December 2016

Copyright?Campaign for Popular Education (CAMPE)

Photo Credit CAMPE & Partner NGOs

Cover Design Nitto Chandra

ISBN: 978-984-34-1687-2

Contact Campaign for Popular Education (CAMPE) 5/14 Humayun Road, Mohammadpur, Dhaka-1207 Phone: +880-2-9130427, 58155031, 58153417 Fax: +880-2-9123842, Email: info@ Web: Facebook: campebd Twitter: campebd

Printed by 28/C-1 Toyenbee Circular Road, Motijheel, Dhaka-1000 Tel: 9550412, 9553303, 01819263481

A. Introduction

In September 2015, the United Nations General Assembly set unanimously the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2016-2030. Seventeen major goals have been adopted; 169 associated targets and 230 indicators have been formulated to guide and monitor progress. The fourth of the SDGs is on education that includes 10 targets. The targets included in the education SDG are larger in number and more multidimensional compared to those in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for 2000-2015. An ambitious goal is envisioned for SDG4 by 2030. The SDG4 agenda announced in the World Education Forum 2015 at Incheon, Korea as the Education 2030 agenda for the next 15 years have been incorporated into SDG 2030. SDG4 reads:

Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.

The 10 SDG4 targets cover pre-primary to tertiary education, technical and vocational education, skills development of youth and adults, literacy and numeracy of the population, inclusiveness and equity in education, quality in education and of teachers, as well as, provisions, scope and character of education services that address the targets. Knowledge, skills, attitude and behaviour that contribute to sustainable development are given prominence. In contrast to EFA 2015 and MDGs, attention is given to a broader range of education agenda including tertiary education and the opportunities for lifelong learning for all in the learning society. Overall, acquiring knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development by all sections of population is the main thrust of SDG4.

This 15th report of Education Watch deals with three of the above SDG4 issues: literacy, skills development, and lifelong learning opportunities. The first two issues are not new to Education Watch ? both were covered in previous Education Watch studies (in 2002 and 2011-12). The theme of lifelong learning is addressed specifically for the first time in the current Education Watch study. How these issues relate to SDG4 can be seen in Box. The year 2016 being the first in the 15-year time horizon for Education 2030, this study can form the baseline for measuring future progress.

Overview 3

Education Watch 2016 Study focus related to SDG4

To ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all, relevant key targets are:

4.3. By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university.

4.4. By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship.

4.6. By 2030, ensure that all youth and a substantial proportion of adults, both men and women, achieve literacy and numeracy.

4.7. By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture's contribution to sustainable development.

Source:

All of the relevant targets are not attempted to be covered exhaustively in this study. Its focus is on literacy, work-related skills, and lifelong learning opportunities through access to knowledge and information beyond the national education system.

B. Study Objectives

With the three major themes in mind the following are the objectives of Education Watch 2016:

1. To estimate the proportions of the population that are at various levels of literacy attainment and the variations in terms of gender, geographic locations, and socio-economic status.

2. To examine the participation of people in skills development apart from general education, use of those skills in everyday life, and the relationship between educational qualifications of people and their skills acquisition.

4 Education Watch 2016

3. To investigate the existing learning opportunities of the population outside the national education system, and how these contribute to creating lifelong learning opportunities for people.

4. To explore the relationships among literacy levels, educational qualifications, acquired skills and life-long learning needs and opportunities and determine their plausible socioeconomic correlates.

C. Research Design

A nationally representative sample survey with provision for administrative division, residence (urban/rural), and gender-based estimates was the approach adopted for conducting this study. Four separate instruments were used for collecting necessary information. These are:

? A household survey questionnaire

? A skills survey questionnaire

? A survey of ICT devices seen as the means of lifelong learning

? A literacy assessment test

All persons aged 11 years and above formed the study population. The whole country was divided into nine mutually exclusive strata. Seven of those were the rural areas of seven administrative divisions. Two represented the urban areas. Thus, the strata were: Rural Barisal Division, Rural Chittagong Division, Rural Dhaka Division, Rural Khulna Division, Rural Rajshahi Division, Rural Rangpur Division, Rural Sylhet Division, City Corporations, and the municipalities (paurasavas). A multistage sampling strategy was adopted for each stratum. Note that Bangladesh had 487 upazilas in seven rural divisions, 79 thanas under 11 City Corporations, and 300 municipalities at the time of fieldwork of this study.

A total of 3,510 households from 270 neighbourhoods (village in rural areas and mahallah in urban areas) were covered through the household survey. A total of 15,265 individuals of all ages lived in these households. Of these individuals, 11,668 were aged 11 years and above ? the targeted respondents of this study. Of them,

Overview 5

11,280 could be brought under the survey (the weighted response rate being 96.5%). Of the respondents 53.6% were female.

Literacy was measured through an assessment test developed originally for Education Watch 2002 study. It was a one-to-one test combining both oral and written items. The test instrument covered four domains, viz., reading, writing, numeracy, and application of the 3R's. The total number of items (questions) was 24, equally distributed by domains. The maximum possible score was 100; 25 for each domain. Instead of dividing the population as literate or not-literate, they were placed in one of the following four levels of literacy, based on their test score. In other words, this was a move away from dichotomy to multi-level scaling in literacy assessment. The levels were:

? Non-literate (scoring less than 25% of the maximum) ? Semi-literate (scoring between 25%-49%) ? Literate at initial level (scoring between 50%-74%) ? Literate at advanced level (scoring 75% and above)

The other required information for the study was collected through interviewing household heads and the respective respondents. The literacy test and interviews were carried out at homes of the respondents, except for a small number who had to be interviewed at their workplaces. One hundred trained research assistants (half of them female) collected the data from 12 May to 18 July 2016.

D. Literacy Status of the Population

? Of the total respondents of age 11 years and above, 26% were found to be literate at advanced level, 25.3% at initial level, 9.8% semi-literate, and 39% non-literate. Based on the premise that the first two groups satisfy the basic minimum standards for literacy, it shows that 51.3% of the respondents were literate. It was 54% for males and 49% for females (p ................
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