Private tutoring
In a meeting with the heads of the secondary schools and colleges in Dhaka city, the education minister pointed out some drawbacks of private tutoring business. A demand to stop coaching centres was raised in the meet. Such a demand is not new. Private tutoring is a popular topic in any discussion on education. Starting from pre-independence period, education commissions have been raising the issue as a bad side of education system. They suggested stopping of the practice. A circular of the education ministry also asked the teachers not be involved in such activities. But the reality is that no attempt has been taken to date to stop private tutoring, which is increasing in various forms at all levels of education.
Additional coaching on academic subjects is not a new phenomenon in Bangladesh or other parts of the world. Professor Mark Bray called it a "shadow education system." He argues that private tutors and coaching centres do not have their own curriculum. They run their enterprises following the mainstream education provision and change according to the changes in the mainstream, especially the examination system. Success in the examinations conducted in mainstream education is the only goal of major private tutoring initiatives. However, the objective of any education is far more than this.
In 2006-7, the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) conducted a survey on private educational institutions in the country. Coaching centre was one of the 31 types of such educational institutions covered by the survey. A total of 5,499 coaching centres were identified, the majority being located in urban areas. The ratio of full and part time employees in these centres was 60:40 in a total of 1 lakh 12 thousand.
BBS reported that only 7% of the centres had government approval. With this information, one can easily see how vast the landscape of coaching business in Bangladesh is. The BBS report, however, did not provide any information regarding how much tax was paid by the coaching centres or their employees.
Population-based studies of Education Watch found that over a fifth of all primary school students received private tutoring in 2000, which increased to 31% in 2005 and 38% in 2008. These rates were respectively 50%, 55% and 68% among the students of secondary schools. The figure reaches about 80% for class X. Pre-school students are also subject private tutoring. The students receive private lessons at home or in tutors' homes or coaching centres. These may be one-to-one, or in small or in large groups.
Household income and expenditure survey (HIES) of BBS and the Education Watch studies show that a large part of educational expenditure of the households is spent for such additional tutoring. Educated and wealthy parents are more likely to provide their children with private tutors. The poorer section is also in line with their limited resources. Studies show that students with private tutors do better in the examinations than those who do not have tutoring. Much stronger relationship is found if duration of tuition or expenses for it is considered. In 2007, the Education Watch reported that 40% of the secondary school teachers act as independent or grouped private tutors.
One reason for the spread of shadow education system is poor teaching learning provision in a majority of mainstream classrooms. If the teachers could give adequate attention to their students in the classrooms or to the needy students after official school hours, intensity of private tutoring might be reduced among a section of pupils.
The other reason is increasing competition in enrolment at the next level of education and in the job market. Impact of globalisation cannot be ruled out in this regard. Educated and wealthy parents and their wards are desperate to earn a good grade point average (GPA) in the examinations, so that they can enroll in good institutions at the next level of education and occupy good places in the job market in future. Peer pressure also forces the students and their parents to engage in it. An environment which is highly inclusive in nature has been created by this time.
Through intensive study of the question papers of the public examinations and their pattern during the past several years, private tutors provide suggestions and already prepared answers to the tutees. The tutees, under close supervision of the tutors, memorise the answers and practice writing them in the name of model tests. There is hardly any scope for understanding the contents, studying the textbooks thoroughly or increasing intellectual ability of the students.
It may not be possible to ban private tutoring fully. Mauritius and South Korea tried to do so but could not succeed because of existence of both demand and supply. International experience shows that attempts to ban such activities increase the chance of their returning in a new form if the causes are not removed. However, some measures can be taken to reduce the number and save education from its bad effects.
Innovations in public examination system (question pattern and assessment), more emphasis on classroom teaching and its monitoring, provision of additional payment for the teachers for additional work in school, regulations towards banning of teachers tutoring privately to their own students of mainstream schools, and registration of coaching centres including monitoring of their activities, may be attempted at the initial stage. Close monitoring of these attempts would help us understand the changes taking place, which may help in formulating policy in future.
Any change in the system may hurt some people and benefit others. The teachers who are benefited from the existing system through non-taxable income may be the first group to protest. The parents and the students who have already adjusted themselves with the "shadow education system" may also dislike any change. Finally, the government may not like to take any initiative that will disturb the voters in both the groups. However, for the sake of future of the nation, some attempts should be taken immediately. The government can start the process now through consultation with the teachers, parents and students.
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