Education System in Bangladesh: Women’s Scholarship and Engagement in Pedagogy

Abstract

Bangladesh is the third largest Muslim country in the world. The education system prevailing in this country is a blend of the local and the Western stream of education. Comparing any other time of the recent past, women have been playing an important role in the fields of education, administration, politics, and social development in the country. So, the participation of women in education is now remarkable. The general education stream follows the national curriculum. Madrasah education is divided into two streams, namely the Alia Madrasah education stream and the Qawmi Madrasah education stream. In the Alia stream of education, the curriculum is prepared combining general education and religious content. On the other hand, in the Qawmi stream of Madrasah education, subject-matters pertaining to religion have been given the topmost priority. The third stream of education is that of the English Medium Schools following the Cambridge or the Edexcel curriculum. Each of these three streams of education has three phases termed as primary, secondary, and higher secondary. The main obejectives of this article are to investigate the existing condition of the participation of women in education-related activities and to find out the challenges and their remedies as well. The study is analytical in nature based on content analysis method. The content analysis includes crediable secondary sources like published books, academic articles, research findings, periodicals, and authentic online platforms dedicated to the educational updates. The findings of the study would be useful to policymakers, academicians, researchers and so on.

Keywords: Education, Pedagogy, Woman Scholarship, Bangladesh

Introduction

Bangladesh is the third largest Muslim dominated country in the world. The education system prevailing in this country is a blend of the local and the Western stream of education.The present education system of Bangladesh may broadly be divided into three major stages, for example primary, secondary and tertiary education. Primary level institutions impart primary education basically. Junior secondary/secondary and higher secondary level institutions impart secondary education. Degree pass, degree honors, masters and other higher-level institutions or equivalent section of other related inistitutions impart tertiary education. The education system is operationally categorized into two streams: primary education (Grade I -V), managed by the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education (MOPME) and the other system is the post-primary which covers all other levels from Junior secondary to higher education under the administration of the Ministry of Education (MOE). The primary and Junior secondary/secondary and higher secondary level is further classified into four types in terms of curriculam: general education, madrasah education, technical-vocational education and professional education. Another stream of education is that of the English Medium Schools following the Cambridge or the Edexcel curriculum. More than in the past, women have been playing an important role in the fields of education, administration, politics, and social development. The participation of women in education is now remarkable. In Bangladesh, women have started exercising greater influence in almost all the sectors of state affairs such as administration, business, government, politics, teaching, and other professions but the participation of women at the decision-making level is too narrow. Because of the social norms prevailing in Muslim society and the cultural and social reality, the participation of women in all sectors is far from mentionable. But the participation of women in imparting education at the three levels is very much satisfactory. Among others, 65% of female teachers teach at the primary level and another 26% teach at the secondary and higher secondary levels. The participation of women in the Teachers’ Training Centres is also encouraging. Despite these, the sector is beset with problems. Considering the overall situation, this paper will discuss the prevailing problems and offer solutions to the same and highlight the significant participation of women.

Obejectives of the study

The main obejectives of this article are to investigate the existing participation of women in education-related activities and to find out the challenges and their remedies as well. Considering the overall situation, this paper will also discuss the prevailing problems and solutions highlighting the significant participation of women in promoting education in Bangladesh.

Theoretical Framework /Research Question

What is the existing level of participation of women in education-related activities in Bangladesh and to find out the challenges faced by them and their possible remedies in line?

Literature Review

Women are bound to do household tasks even when they are not interested in is normalized by the gender power relation in most of the families. Society has the demand of an obedient wife who will meet the demands of all the members of the family. Here my argument is consistent with[1], where it is assumed that to cope up with the politics of devoting enough family time and job status, women are encouraged to choose teaching not only because it has less working hours compared to other jobs but also the work calendar is in sync with the school going child at home. Thus this profession provides enough time to support and take care of the family members after coming back from the workplace which ultimately gives space to exercise the stereotypical gender roles and to create gender-binaries in defining masculine and feminine work.

At this point in the analysis, a question can also be raised that, though Bangladeshi women from middle-class educated families are working in full swing, have we thought for which jobs and why? The answer to this question cannot stand alone except considering the argument of this paper that why middle class educated families encourage women to take the teaching profession. For some obvious reason, so-called “modern educated” husbands somewhat want their wives to engage in the productive labor market. On one side, the wives find it as an opportunity to utilize their educational potentiality and on the other side, by giving the permission of getting into jobs the husbands successfully position themselves in much upper stage of greatness. The husband, therefore, becomes a “perfect” man by letting his wife do jobs outside the home.

Additionally, it is true that nowadays in Bangladesh, though husbands are encouraging their wives to work outside home in middle-class dual-earner households; they can adopt less gender-egalitarian ideology than wives which is consistent with[2]. Research showed the vast majority of men do less housework than their gainfully employed partners (Hochschild, as cited in Parrenas,[3] 2001: 70), as a result, majority of those working women have to do childcare, elderly care, cooking, cleaning and all types of household chores. Thus this situation is in keeping with Parrenas (2001) who said that such unpaid household labor which we often consider as reproductive labor requires much time and to manage time for these works family advise women to take teaching as a profession.

Moreover, the desired interest of both married and unmarried women to become careerists is hardly taken positively by the middle-class patriarchal families in Bangladesh. The traditional gender norms demand a woman to be committed to her family to such an extent where her one of the major roles is to serve the husbands’ pleasure so that he can become more successful in the workplace (Cha & Thebaud, 2009). The reason behind this is consistent with Parrenas (2001) who claimed that success is often measured by high income and the socialized identity which patriarchy destroys if the man earns less than the wife. Not only that, but the middle-class family members also do not seem to be concerned about women’s promotion or salary status. However, like this, the family encourages the girl to join as a teacher near local schools so that she can provide service restlessly in both places without using her agency. This practice is nothing but trying to establish misogyny where the men possess an attitude of having fear of women’s success and empowerment which is consistent with Enloe[4] (2013). I assume that the societal structures of family engagement lead men in a way to avoid this job which works as a factor for it to hold the lower status among many other professions.

  1. Definition of Education: Education is considered as the cornerstone for sustainable development. It is a fulcrum around which quick development of economic, political, sociological and human resources of any country revolves.[5]According to Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (2000), education means a process of teaching, training and learning, especially in schools or colleges, to improve knowledge and develop skills.[6]Okafor (1984) defines education as a process through which the individual attains the development of all their potentialities and their maximum activation and thereby achieves their perfect self-fulfillment. Education is the sum total of all the processes by which a child or a youth develops the abilities, attitudes and other forms of behavior which are of positive value to the society in which he/she lives.[7]
  2. Present Education System in Bangladesh

Education in Bangladesh is administered by the country’s Ministry of Education.[8] The Ministry of Primary and Mass Education implements policies for primary education and state-funded schools at a local level.[9] Education in Bangladesh is compulsory for all citizens until the end of grade eight.[10] Primary and secondary education is funded by the state and is free of charge in public schools.[11]

Bangladesh conforms fully to the UN’s Education For All (EFA) objectives[12]and the Millennium Development Goals (MDG)[13] as well as other education-related international declarations. Now, the government of Bangladesh tends to align the curriculum that meets the “Goal: SDG-4” that is the “Quality Education” characterized in the charter of “Sustainable Development Goal 4”.[14] Article 17 of the Constitution ensures that all children receive free and compulsory education.[15]

2.1. General Education

  1. a) Primary Education

The first level of education is comprised of 5 years of formal schooling (Class / Grades I – V). Education, at this stage, normally begins at 6+ years of age and lasts up to 11 years. Primary education is generally imparted in primary schools. Nevertheless, other types of institutions like kindergartens and junior sections attached to English medium schools are also imparting it.

  1. b) Secondary and Higher Secondary Education

The second level of education is comprised of 7 (3+2+2) years of formal schooling. The first 3 years (grades VI-VIII) is referred to as junior secondary; the next 2 years (grades IX -X) is secondary while the last 2 years (Grades XI – XII) is called higher secondary.

There is diversification of courses after three years of schooling in junior secondary level. In secondary education, there are three streams of courses such as, Humanities, Science and Business Education, which start with class IX, where the students are free to choose their courseof studies.

High schools are managed either by government or private individuals or organizations. Most of the privately managed secondary schools provide co-education.

The academic programme terminates at the end of class X when students are to appear at the public examination called S.S.C. (Secondary School Certificate). The Boards of Intermediate and Secondary Educations (BISE) conduct the S.S.C. examination.

At the higher secondary stage, the course is of a two-year duration (XI – XII) which is offered by Intermediate Colleges or by Intermediate section of colleges offering Degree or Master’s.

 

  1. c) Tertiary Education
  2. i) College

The third stage of education comprises of 2-6 years of formal schooling. The minimum requirement for admission to higher education is the higher secondary certificate (H.S.C). Students passing HSC are qualified to enroll in a 3-year degree pass courses or they may enroll in 4-year bachelors’ degree honourscourses at degree level colleges or at the universities. After successful completion of a pass/honours bachelors’ degree course, one can enroll in the master’s degree course. Master’s degree courses last one year for honours bachelor degree holders and 2 years for bachelor degree holders. For those aspiring to take up M.Phil and Ph.D courses in selected disciplines or areas of specialization, the duration is 2 years for M.Phil and 3-4 years for Ph.Ds after completion of master’s degree.

  1. ii) University

There are 156 universities in Bangladesh. Out of these, 53 universities are public, while the other 103 are private in nature. Bangladesh Open University (BOU) conducts non-campus distance education programmes especially in the field of teacher education and offers Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) and Master of Education (M.Ed) degrees. Bangladesh National University mainly functions as an affiliating university for degree and post-graduate degree level education at different colleges and institutions in different fields of studies. The degrees are B.A., B.S.S., B.Sc., B.Com.  (Pass & Honours) BFA(Pass), M.A., M.Sc., M.S.S, M.Com.and MFA. Moreover, this university also offers L.L.B and other degrees. Bangladesh National University offers part-time training to university teachers.

There is only one medical university namely, “Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University”, which, like other public universities, offers courses on a different system where FCPS Degree is offered in the disciplines of medical education; diploma courses in 12 disciplines, MD degree in 15 subjects and MS courses on 8 subjects.

2.2. Madrasah Education

The old scheme of madrasah education was introduced in 1780 with the establishment of Calcutta Madrasah. In madrasah education, one can learn Islamic religious education along with the general education as complementary to each other in the system of education. The madrasah education system has been continuing with some modifications according to the demand of the time, and many madrasahs grew up in this sub-continent. The government has been providing government grants to the teachers and employees of the non-government madrasahs like other non-government education institutions (schools and colleges). There are five levels in the madrasah education system, namely:

  1. Primary Level or Ebtedayee Education

This is equivalent to primary level of general education. The first level of madrasah education comprises of 5 years of schooling  (Grades I – V). Normally, children of 6 years of age begin in class 1 and finish in class V at the age of 11.Ebtedayee education is imparted in independent ebtedayee madrasahs and ebtedayee sections of Dakhil, Alim, Fazil and Kamil madrasahs.

  1. Secondary and Higher Secondary Level or Dakhil and Alim Stage

The secondary level of madrasah education comprises of 7 (5+2) years of formalschooling. It takes five years at Dakhil stage (S.S.C. level) from grade VI – X while the last 2 years forms the Alim (Higher Secondary) stage. Dakhil level education is imparted in Dakhil madrasahs and at Dakhil level of Alim, Fazil and Kamil madrasahs. Alim is equivalent to higher secondary certificate education imparted at alim madrasahs and at the alim level of Fazil and Kamil madrasahs.

There are diversification of courses after three years of schooling at secondary level of education from grade IX of Dakhil stage and grade XI of Alim stage. There are streams of courses such as humanities, science where students are free to choose their courses of studies. Private individuals or private bodies manage all madrasahs at this level. Most of these madrasahs provide co-education. However, there are some single gender madrasahs at this level of madrasah education. There are two public examinations namely; Dakhil and Alim after the completion of 10 years of schooling and twelve years of education, respectively. The Bangladesh Madrasah Education Board (BMEB) provides these two certificates.

  1. Tertiary Level of Madrasah Education

This level comprises of 5 (3+2) years of formal education. The minimum requirement for admission to higher level of madrasah education is the Alim (equivalent to HSC) certificate. Students passing Alim are qualified to enroll in a 3-year Fazil pass or a 4-year Fazilhonours course. This level of education is imparted in Fazil madrasah and at Fazil level of Kamil madrasahs. After successful completion of Fazil degree, one can enroll in a 2 –year or one year long Kamil level education.

Out of the total number of kamil madrasahs, the government manages only three madrasahs and others are managed by either individual or by private bodies. However, there are a few girls’ madrasahs for female students.

Besides the public system of madrasah education there are a good number of private madrasahs for the Muslim students, namely: hafizia, qiratia, quami and nizamiah. Most of these madrasahs are residential. These types of madrasahs are sometimes called kharizia as these are beyond the purview of the general system of education. Recently, these quami madrasahs have been organized under the umbrella of a private board known as ‘BefaqulMadaris or Quami Madrasah Board’ which constitutes curriculum and syllabus of quami madrasahs, conducts examinations and awards certificates and degrees.

2.3. Technical –Vocational

The students whose interests are not strictly academic may find technical-vocational programmes more interesting and more valuable for their future. The government tries to ensure that the course curriculum is relevant to students’ interest and aspirations while at the same time it should address the needs of the job market.

  1. Primary Level

There is no technical-vocational institution at the primary level of education. Ebtedayee or the first level (Primary Level) of madrasah education has no scope for technical-vocational education.

  1. Secondary Level

Vocational courses start from secondary level. The certificate courses prepare skilled workers in different vocations starting from ninth grade after completion of three years of schooling in secondary schools. At this level the courses are diversified in different vocations spread over a period of 1 to 2 years. Recently, two-year vocational courseshave been introduced at the higher secondary level in government managed vocational training institutes (renamed as Technical School & College). Diploma courses prepare the diploma engineers at the polytechnic institutes. This course spreads over 4 years after passing the secondary school certification examination. There is a technical education board called Bangladesh Technical Education Board (BTEB), which grants affiliation to the technical institutes. It conducts examinations of the students completing different courses in different vocational and technical education, and awards certificates to the successful candidates.

2.4. Professional Education                                                  

The Colleges of Textile Technology and Colleges of Leather Technology offer four-year degree courses in Textile Engineering and Leather Technology respectively after completing Higher Secondary Education. The minimum requirement to enroll into teachers training colleges (TTCs) for Bachelor of Education, Bachelor of Physical Education in Physical Education College is a graduation degree. Generally, in-service teachers undertake this professional training course along with some unemployed graduates. Professional education is also imparted in Medical Colleges, Dental Colleges, Nursing College, Homeopathic Colleges, Law Colleges and so on.

Education system in Bangladesh is being managed and administered by two Ministries viz. Ministry of Education (MOE) and Ministry of Primary and Mass Education (MOPME) in association with the attached Departments and Directorates as well as a number of autonomous bodies.

  1. Women’s Education in Bangladesh

For the growth of Women’s Education in Bangladesh many authors stress the importance of education for women’s emancipation. According to Islam[16] (2010), women who lack education also lack self-confidence. Naturally, an educated woman will have a variety of problem-solving and decision-making skills, and she will want to put those to use for herself and her family. The National Education Policy of Bangladesh[17] (2010) placed a strong emphasis on encouraging women’s education across the board in order to do away with any sex-based stereotyping and guarantee equality. In order to secure women’s holistic growth, empowerment, and involvement in societal advancement, the policy has also placed a strong emphasis on women’s education. A number of measures for women’s education have been taken by the succeeding governments in Bangladesh. As a result, women now have higher educational levels. The gender gap in this industry has greatly shrunk as a result of affirmative measures adopted in the allocation of financial resources in the education sector and women-friendly education regulations.

According to the 2001 census of Bangladesh, the literacy rate for people aged 7 and older increased from around 26% to 45.32% over the course of 20 years (1981–2001). According to the 2022 Census of Bangladesh, the literacy rate of Bangladesh was 74.66% in 2022.[18]Prior to this national census, literacy rate was 51.77% in 2011 according to the 2011 Census of Bangladesh.[19] The literacy rate in Bangladesh increased by 23.11% in 2022 compared to that in 2011.

The remarkable increase in women’s education during this time has made a significant contribution to improvement in literacy rate. Secondary School enrollment for girls has increased significantly during the 1980s, from 39% in 1998 to 67% in 2017. The literacy rate of Bangladesh was 74.66% in 2022 out of them the male formed 76.56% and the female formed 72.82%.[20]The Female Secondary School Assistance Project (FSSAP), which was launched in the early 1990s initially as a trial and later as a state-wide initiative, was particularly important in attaining gender equality and is the cause of this progress.

The percentage of female enrollment in 2000 was 54 percent of the overall enrollment. The percentage of female pupils climbed to 56% that year. However, it is a good piece of news. The selection of schools with a majority of female students was the primary cause of the higher percentage of female enrollment. The introduction of the female stipend program and tuition fee waiver, particularly in rural areas, was the primary cause of these significant variations in participation rates between male and female. Global organizations have underlined that educating girls is essential for a country’s development and for the full exploration of the potential of its inhabitants.

The World Bank website sample also aids in reminding us of the importance of the justification for girls’ education. It is, therefore, necessary to promote female education so that they may collaborate with men to support the family’seconomic growth andcontribute to success. The good news is that the government has already started providing rural female children with free education up to high school. However, it is important to inform them of the program implemented for their well-being. In this matter, many Non-Government Organizations (NGO) and urban students can play a role to urge those unprivileged girls to educate themselve.

3.1 Barriers to Female Education

  1. Child marriage: Child marriage is a heinous act that violates a person’s right to education. Bangladesh continues to have South Asia’s highest rate of child marriage. According to statistics from the World Bank and International Center for Research on Women, 10–30% of parents indicated that their children dropped out of secondary schools as a result of child marriage or pregnancy.
  2. Gender-based violence: On the other hand, girls may miss school for an extended period of time or never again due to gender-based violence. According to a report provided to the High Court by the Inspector General of Police (IGP), there were 41,695 rape incidents reported nationwide between 2016 and 2022. Gender based violence often occurs in schools, known as ‘School-related gender-based violence’ (SRGBV),

UNICEF reports that as a result of the aforementioned difficulties, 10% of girls never enroll, 34% drop out, and 28% finish school but do not pass or have the essential skills to find employment or continue with their education. However, only 28% of Bangladeshi females graduate from high school with respectable grades.Further impediments to schooling include poverty, safety concerns, lack of school and superstitions linked to religious beliefs.

4. Statistics of Women’s Engagement in Pedagogy in Bangladesh

In Bangladesh the participation of women in education is now remarkable. Women have been playing an important role in the fields of education. On the other hand, the participation of women in all sectors is far from mentionable because of the social norms prevailing in Muslim society and the cultural and social reality, but the participation of women in imparting education at the three levels is very much satisfactory. Among others, 65% of female teachers teach at the primary level and another 26% teach at the secondary and higher secondary levels. The participation of women in the Teachers’ Training Centres is also encouraging. I would like to mention statistics of Women’s Engagement in Pedagogy in Bangladesh at the three levels as outlined below.

4.1. Female Teachers in the Primary Education Sector in Bangladesh

In Bangladesh, the female teachers already outnumber the male in the primary education sector (BANBEIS, 2013).[21] The primary education administration of this country is still demanding more female teachers with the assumption that they are more suitable for this profession than are men (MoPME, 2015). From my personal experience, I found that female teachers are usually more satisfied with a low salary than the male and they have the notion that elementary teaching goes more with their lifestyles. Nonetheless, the number of female teachers in primary schoolsis increasing with time as women get enough time to care for their families despite working in this profession (Tasnim, 2006; Hofstede&Hofstede, 2005).[22]Until 2012, about 63% of the total teachers in government primary schools were women (BANBEIS, 2013). Primary education, teachers (% female) in Bangladesh was reported at 64.41 % in 2021, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Bangladesh – Primary education, teachers (% female) – actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on September of 2023.[23]Female teachers as a percentage of total primary education teachers including full-time and part-time teachers.

4.2. Secondary Education, Teachers (% female) in Bangladesh

At the secondary education level, percentage of female teachersin Bangladesh was reported at 25.91 % in 2021, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Bangladesh – Secondary education, teachers (% female) – actual values, historical data, forecasts and projectionswere sourced from the World Bank on September of 2023.[24] Female teachers as a percentage of total secondary education teachers including full-time and part-time teachers.

4.3. Tertiary Education, Teachers (% female) in Bangladesh    

The number of feamle teachers in tertiary education programmesin Bangladesh was reported at 25190 persons in 2019, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Bangladesh – Teachers in tertiary education programmes, female – actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on September of 2023.[25]

  1. Teaching is considered one of the most suitable jobs for women in Bangladesh

In this 21st century, Bangladesh is still a highly patriarchal society where gender inequality is rooted in every sphere of life (Tasnim, 2006).[26] As a result, women are always in a lower position in gender hierarchies which creates problems even for educated women to work with a high prestige equal to men in various job sectors (Mim, 2015).[27] However, research showed teaching is considered one of the most suitable jobs for women in Bangladesh, basically for young middle-class women (Mahtab, 2007; Mim, 2015).[28] The entry requirement of male and female teachers in primary schools is different; HSC (Higher Secondary School Certificate) is the minimum education level for males whereas the females only need to pass in SSC (Secondary School Certificate) level.

The state has also been considering women as the backward section of the nation and that is why it provides different opportunities for female teachers (Tasnim, 2006; The Constitution of People‟s Republic of Bangladesh, 1972). For such privileges more women are getting into primary school teaching but why is this opportunity not provided in other academic jobs of the country? I assume the reason lies in reserving a 60% quota for female teachers as found in the Journal of Education, Teaching and Learning Volume 5 Number 1 March 2020. Page 1-7 p-ISSN: 2477-5924 e-ISSN: 2477-4878. The state simply indicated that the reason for this quota is expecting female teachers as the substitutes of students’ mothers in the classroom (MoPME, 2015; Tasnim, 2006).

This clear gendered assumption is the basis of all the so-called opportunity for women in this particular profession. Here the society wants women as a “good mother” who is supposed to be nurturing, caring and compassionate by birth. It is basically based on the essentialist belief that a woman’s nature tends to make her better with children. (Drudy, 2008: 312).[29] So this is undoubtedly problematic which questions women’s identity. Mothers in the family are considered as the most tolerant persons who look after all sorts of demands of the family members. Whereas, Drudy (2008) mentioned that primary school teaching has been thought of as the most unattractive and boring profession by the general mass where too much patience is required to deal with the children.

Here we find a relation has been made up between teaching and mothers’ role in terms of patience. Consequently, the state has ensured several opportunities to enter into this job i.e. marreid female teachers can transfer to their husband’s posting (MoPME, 2015; Tasnim, 2006) so that she can also play her divine duty of homemaking perfectly. As primary school teaching requires female teachers passing SSC, the middle-class wives who really want to engage in a job by maintaining a patriarchal family’s home demands prefer this profession.

  1. Methodology

This article is based on the content analysis of credible secondary sources. The content analysis- a massive examination of relevant materials, includes credible journal articles, books, newspaper articles, research findings and internet documents. The content analysis method is significant to a great extent because there are enormous numbers of literature which are dealing with the education of Bangladesh. To thoroughly portray the subject matters, it was conducted a robust historical survey of the major literature.

  1. Major Findings

7.1 Problem of Women Pedagoy in Bangladesh

In Bangladesh there are many problems women facing in the field of pedagoy. The environment, socio-culture, and practices are still not women-friendly. There are incidents of sexual harassment, mental torture, and molestation at the workplace and financial evaluation of their work is still not at satisfactory level. Problems include working hours, vacations, positions, salary, and job evaluation are also pertained.

  1. Poor Salary: Financial evaluation of their work is still not satisfactory.

Female teachers are given a low salary proportionate to their working hours.  There is lack of proper evaluation, justified work hours, a sufficient number of paid leaves.

  1. Mental torture byspouse: When a woman gets married, most husbands do not allow them to do a job. If a husband gives permission for a job, he wants the entire salary the female teacher gets. In addition, a femaleteacher has to do all household chores besides her job.
  2. Disparity in religious beliefs: The majority of families oppose a female doing a job also in the field of teachingbecause of religion. Some parents believe that highly educated women cannot adequately participate in religious activities.
  3. Eve-Teasing: a) Eve-teasing has a significant role today in the decline in the number ofof female teachers. b) Eve-teasing affects women of all ages, which contributes to the daily decline in female job in educational institutions.
  4. Lack of Security: a) Security concerns prevent the majority of women from continuing their job b) Parents of women who stay in hostels experience a lack of security. c) Women experience insecurities when communicating in public settings like buses and trains. So their parents do not consent to their going to distant places.
  5. Violence: Women also continue to be victims of violence with rape and domestic violence listed as significant causes of disability.
  6. Lack of quality, development programe: More women are coming to teach now than before but their quality, development, and promotion prospects still lag behind. 
  7. Unequal Employment Opportunities: Another serious but subtle constraint is the discrimination against women by employers. It is not strange these days to discover in many advertisements for vacancies that the jobs are exclusively for males; so women (especially the married ones) need not apply. The garments sector of the country is just an exception to this.
  8. There is no rest room for a female teacher where she can rest specially in times of illness or when on period or when she feels at her workplace.
  9. Sexual harassment by male colleagues, inistitiution head, male guardian, managing commitee member or any other person related to inistitiution is another deterrent.
  10. Mental torture by male colleagues, inistitiution head, male guardian, managing commitee member is another reason behind the decline in their participation in jobs.
  11. There is no day-care facilities for their children. As a result when they cannot any support from their family,it is so difficult for them to maintain their baby.When a female teacher has to leave her baby at home, they mentally suffer for their baby and that time she remains worried for her baby. That is why she cannot be attentive in pedagogy.
  12. A female teacher does not get sufficient vacation. The Government of Bangladeah gives all females with a job a six-month long vacation for maternity leave but private sector does not offer the same vacation for maternity leave. Usualy there is no extra leave for a female teacher.
  13. Sanitation problem: There is not sufficient sanitation facility for a female teacher. There are not enough clean washrooms in educational inistitiutions. For lack of sanitation a female teacher suffers from various physical problems.
  14. No transport facility: There is not enough transport facility to avail for a female teacher. For the lack of tranfortation they are harassed in buses and trains and other public transforts which they use for going to their workplace.
  15. No prayer room: There is no prayer room for a female teacher in her educational inistitiution. That is why a Muslim female teacher cannot perform her prayer in time.
  16. Problems include working hours: It is so tough a job for a female teacher when she must be present at her workplace for a long time because her family members wait for her presence in house and when she returns home, she must do some work for her family too.
  17. Lack of proper evaluation and not being given proper positions: A female teacher does not get proper evaluation for their work. They do not get their proper position in their workplace.
  18. Suggestions or Advice not accepted by authority: When a female teacher gives any advice/suggestion to the authority, they do not normally accept their opinion. So, that is whya female teacher is not so interested to participate in teamwork.

7.2. Suggestions for Solving Problems of Woman Pedagoy in Bangladesh

It is to suggest some points for solving the problems of woman pedagoy in Bangladesh. Before that it is needed to ensure a safe work environment, proper evaluation, justified work hours, a sufficient number of paid leaves, and day-care facilities for their children. A change in social practices and outlook is also pivotal.

  1. Sufficient salary: Proper financial evaluation of their work can help. Female teachers should be given salary in keeping with their working hours. Proper evaluation, justification in their work hours and duties can also prove useful.
  2. Strong Security management: Authority must maintain security at the workplace so a majority of women can continue with their jobs. They must also ensure securities when commuting via public transports like buses and trains.
  3. Set up day-care facilities for their children: When a female teacher gets day-care facilities, she can breastfeed her baby. She can then be attentive in pedagogy. On the other hand, when a female teacher can take her baby to her workplace, she gets mental peace.
  4. Set up available sanitation management: They must set upsufficient sanitationmanagment for female teachers. Enough clean washrooms, sanitation facility in educational institution help femaleteachers remain physically fit.
  5. State should given t ransport facility: The state should give transport facility for female teachers. As a result of transportation, they feel secured in buses and trains and other transports which they use for going to their workplace.Thus female teachers can do their job without harassment during commuting.
  6. Ensure proper evaluation and given proper positions: Feamle teachers should be given proper evaluation for their duty and their proper position in their workplace.
  7. A female teaacher should get sufficient vacation: All private sectors should offer a six-month vacation for maternity like the government sector does. On the other hand, in special cases female teachers should be given extra leave for their family duties.
  8. Stop sexual harassment in workplace: Sexual harassment by male colleagues, institution head, male guardian, managing commitee member or any other person related to institution must be stopped. Usually, female teachers feel disturbed in their workplace or on the way to work if they are sexually harrassed. To solve this problem the state and the society should administer serious punishment to those people who are engaged in such immoral works women can do their jobs with mental satisfaction.
  9. Organise quality development program: More women are coming to teach now. That is why quality development program must be organised.As a result female teachers will become skilled in their profession. This way we will get qualified teachers and develop pedagogy.
  10. Reduce working hours:To take care of the child and other family members a female teacher should be given a short working hour because her family members wait for her presence in house and when she returns home, she must do some work for the family too. When a female teacher gets short working hour, she can enjoy her job.
  11. Motivational programe for spouse: We should arrange motivational programes for husbands that can create a helping mentality. A husband can cordially co-operate with his wife to maintain all work of his family so thatit becomes easier for her to do the job. A husband should take care of the children to help his wife do her job.
  12. Prayer room should be arranged for female teachers: Prayer room should be available for a female teacher in her educational institution. If a Muslim female teacher can perform her prayer in time, she can do her job with mental satisfaction.
  13. Stop domestic violence, Eve-Teasing, violence with rape: Domestic violence, Eve-Teasing, violence with rape and other mental tortures by male colleagues, inistitiution head, guardians, managing commitee members and by other people must be stopped. We should ensure a secure and more peaceful enviroment for a female teacher.

Conclusions

Bangladesh is a country where teaching is paying less value compared to other professions. The involvement of women in this profession has been encouraged by both the state and the family whereas they are getting minimum wages. The participation of women in education is now remarkable. In Bangladesh, women have started exercising greater influence in almost all the sectors of state affairs such as administration, business, government, politics, teaching, and other professions but the participation of women at the decision-making level is too narrow. Because of the social norms prevailing in Muslim society and the cultural and social reality, the participation of women in all sectors is far from mentionable. But the participation of women in imparting education at the three levels is very much satisfactory. Among others, 65% of female teachers teach at the primary level and another 26% teach at the secondary and higher secondary levels. The participation of women in the Teachers’ Training Centres is also encouraging. Despite these, the sector is beset with problems. The environment, social culture, and practices are still not women-friendly. We need to ensure a safe work environment, proper evaluation, justified work hours, a sufficient number of paid leaves, and day-care facilities for their children. A change in social practices and outlook is also pivotal. Considering the overall situation, we must offer solutions to the same and highlight the significant participation of women.

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