| Author | Ahmad, Mokbul Morshed |
| Call Number | AIT Thesis no. HS-93-03 |
| Subject(s) | Non-governmental organizations--Bangladesh
Education--Bangladesh
|
| Note | A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science, School of Engineering and Technology |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Series Statement | Thesis ; no. HS-93-03 |
| Abstract | Despite government efforts to promote universal primary education, the rate of enrolment
in the primary schools of rural Bangladesh is much lower and drop-out much higher than in
many developing countries. Many NGOs are trying to improve this situation through awareness
creation and motivating parents to send their children to school, and operating non-formal schools
with the co-operation of the parents.
The objective of this research is to find out the effectiveness of NGO intervention to
improve this situation. It also set out to examine the reasons for low/nonenrolment and high dropout,
and the replicability of the NGO approach in primary education.
The methodology adopted was to compare villages with NGO intervention (experimental
group) with villages without such intervention (control group). Two intermediate sized NGOs
who are trying to increase primary school enrolment and reduce drop-out were chosen as
samples. Two villages where no NGOs are working were chosen as control groups. Two other
villages where the NGOs identified above are working were chosen as samples for the
experimental group.
It has been found that the rate of enrolment is significantly higher among the experimental
group than among the control group. Also the rate of enrolment continues to be higher among
the boys than among the girls despite the NGO intervention. Although it was not found
statistically significant the rate of drop-out is higher among the experimental group. The rate of
drop-out was also higher among girls as compared to boys in the experimental group.
In the experimental group the importance attached to education is the same for sons and
daughters but higher importance is attached to sons' education in the control group. There is no
gender differentiation in the perception of fathers and mothers towards the importance of
children's education among both groups. Poverty and accessibility stand out to be the important
factors for non-enrolment and drop-out of the children.
It has been revealed in the study that children's enrolment in the schools is positively
influenced by parents' awareness of the necessity of education, the quality of the education
materials (books, blackboard, bench), mothers' level of education, poverty with factors like
fathers having a secondary occupation or large land holdings and availability of free books in the
schools acting to mitigate poverty. The rate of enrolment is negatively influenced by the distance
to the schools. It was also found that NGO involvement is more effective on raising the rate of
enrolment but less so in keeping children in school due to the economic circumstances of the
parents which have not improved much through the NGO intervention. |
| Year | 1993 |
| Corresponding Series Added Entry | Asian Institute of Technology. Thesis ; no. HS-93-03 |
| Type | Thesis |
| School | School of Engineering and Technology (SET) |
| Department | Department of Civil and Infrastucture Engineering (DCIE) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Human Settlement (HS) |
| Chairperson(s) | Dias, Hiran D.; |
| Examination Committee(s) | Weber, Karl E.;Miah, Md. Abdul Quader;Ageros, Bengt; |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | NORAD (Norwegian Agency for Development); |
| Degree | Thesis (M.Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 1993 |
