Monday, September 6, 2010

Free and Compulsory Education of Bangladesh Constitution

Article 17: Free and Compulsory Education

The state shall adopt effective measure for the purpose of-

a) establishing a uniform, mass- oriented and universal system of education and extending free and compulsory education to all children to such stage as may be determined by law;

b) relating education to the needs of society and producing properly trained and motivated citizens to serve hose needs;

c) removing illiteracy within such time as may be determined by law.

Source: http://www.dpe.gov.bd/ and http://www.mopme.gov.bd/

Background of Primary and Mass Education in Bangladesh

About Primary and Mass Education

Bangladesh has been trying relentlessly to uphold the cause of education for all since its emergence as an independent country. Article 17 of the Constitution of Bangladesh stipulates that primary education shall be the responsibility of the State. To bear this responsibility primary education in Bangladesh underwent a great deal of changes and development during the last few years. Bangladesh is a signatory to the world declaration on education for all held at Jomtien, Thailand in March 1990. Bangladesh is also a signatory to the summit of 9 high populous countries held on 16 December 1993 in Delhi. To facilitate and formulate planned programme for universal primary education and to remove illiteracy from the country, Government had created a separate division named Primary and Mass Education Division (PMED) in 1992. PMED was made a Ministry in 2003. Hon’ble Prime Minister is also the Minister of this Ministry. All these steps reflect the commitment and determination of the government to improve primary education in the country both in terms of quality and quantity. The Government of Bangladesh (GOB) has allocated nearly 14 percent of the national budget to the education sector of which the share of primary and mass education is nearly 43 per cent.

· The government has undertaken various measures to increase access, reduce dropout rate, increase completion rate, improve quality of education and increase literacy rate, and help bringing quality of life. Access to primary education has increased steadily over the last two decades. The total number of primary level education institutions is now over 76,000 out of which the number of full-fledged primary schools is more than 60,000.

· The gross enrolment rate has increased from 73 percent in 1990 to 97 percent in 2003. The current net enrolment rate is estimated at 86.6 per cent. Student-teacher ratio is about 55:1 and completion rate is around 67 percent. The dropout rate has gone down from 35 percent in 2000 to 33 percent in 2002. Implementation of the Compulsory Primary Education Programme in 1992 backed by social mobilization activities increased enrolment from 12.6 million in 1991 to 17.48 million in 2004. The literacy rate (7+ years) has reached to 63 per cent.

· The government has given top most priority to ensure quality education to all children. The government undertook different types of programmes in the field of primary and mass education and successfully implemented these programmes. Considering global perspective, the government laid special emphasis on English, mathematics and science in every grades of primary education cycle.

· For proper functioning of the primary schools all committees in the primary education sub-sector have been reviewed and reconstituted. School Management Committees, Upazila Education Committees and National Committee for formulation of National Plan of Action for Education for All (EFA) in the light of Dakar Framework have been made more functional.

Reconstruction, renovation and refurbishment works of government primary schools and registered non-government primary schools are being implemented in full swing under different projects. Under this initiative, government primary schools and registered non-government primary schools have been reconstructed and refurbished.

National Academy for Primary Education (NAPE) is an apex training institution for primary education. For proper functioning this institution has been converted into an autonomous body under Ministry of Primary and Mass Education (MOPME).

To free the country from the curse of illiteracy, the govt. introduced Integrated Non-Formal Education Programme (INFEP) in the year 1991. Under this programme, about 2.5 million illiterate people have been made literate. To accomplish the different activities under this programme 7.5 million books, teachers’ guide, teachers’ training manual and other related teaching materials were distributed. At the same time, some more additional interventions were identified and successfully implemented. In continuation of those steps, about 18 million more illiterate people were made literate under non-formal education projects.

Epoch making steps were undertaken to develop overall primary and mass education of the country by the government which include the following:

Distribution of Textbooks:

Textbooks are distributed among the primary school students free of cost. From 2002–2004, about 182 million textbooks on various subjects were distributed free of cost among the students of primary schools. About 66.3 million textbooks have been printed and distributed to the children of the academic year 2005.

Stipend Project of Primary Schools Students:

Government financed Food for Education Programme was introduced in 1993 to compensate opportunity cost of poor parents for sending their children to school. This helped increase the enrolment, attendance in schools and prevent child labour. About 27% area of the country covering about 2.2 million disadvantaged students were under “Food for Education Programme”. From financial year 2002-2003 a special programme for providing cash support to poor primary school children has been launched by transforming Food for Education Programme into Stipend Programme. Under this programme, parents of poor students of the primary schools in the rural areas are given monthly stipend at the rate of Tk.100 per month for sending one child to school and Tk. 125 for sending more than one child. From July 2002 to January 2005 Government spent about Tk. 12.93 billion (US$ 0.22 billion) from its own resources for giving stipend to the children. The number of benefited children under this intervention is about 6 million. The programme is continuing with an allocation of Tk. 5,200 million (US$ 86 million) for the financial year 2004-2005.

Curriculum Revision:

A competence based and life skill oriented curriculum has been developed. Textbooks for grades1 to 4 were revised accordingly. These revised books for grade-I and grade - 2 have been supplied to the children in the academic year 2003. Revised books for grades - 3 & 4 were distributed in 2004 and 2005 respectively. Textbooks for grade 5 will be revised and distributed to the children in the academic year 2006. In order to address the discrepancy prevailing in the curriculum of Certificate-in-Education (C-in-Ed) and its realistic application, C-in-Ed curriculum has been revised.

Elimination of Gender Disparity:

To eliminate gender disparity and ensure wide participation of women in development activities, 60 per cent posts of teachers have been reserved for female teachers. As a result, percentage of female teachers at present has reached 37.6 per cent. The policy to appoint more women as officials at various levels of the management of primary education has been implemented. More opportunities of admission of girls in schools are being created. Separate toilets are also being constructed in primary schools for girls. To encourage more women to join primary schools as teachers, steps have been taken to raise the residential capacity of the women’s hostels at the Primary Training Institutes (PTIs). While students are enrolled the names of both mother and father are being registered. For payment of stipend money to the students provision has been made to open the bank account in mother’s name. Massive social mobilization programmes have been undertaken to encourage guardians to send girl child to schools. These steps have contributed to the increase of girl enrolment bringing gender parity. Present boys and girls ratio is 51:49.

Human Resource Development & Training Programme:

Various in-country training was imparted to the officials on academic supervision, financial management, computer management, planning, policy and research. Subject based training in Upazila Resource Centers (URCs), Multiple Ways of Teaching and Learning (MWTL), sub-cluster training, C-in-Ed training course were also imparted under different projects. The in-service training span varies from one-day to 30 days and for initial training of teachers (C-in-Ed) it is one academic year. 700,000 such officials and teachers were trained in total. Training was also imparted to the officials and the teachers abroad under different programmes. Orientation training for School Management Committees’ (SMCs) chairman and members' was also imparted.

Expansion of Physical Facilities:

Physical facilities play a dominant role to ensure quality education. In this perspective, special emphasis was accorded to the construction, reconstruction and refurbishment of schools, and education offices. Government primary schools, registered non-government primary schools and community schools were constructed/re-constructed/repaired. Upazila Resource Centres (URCs) were constructed. Besides, development works are being carried out in other primary schools.

For ensuring safe drinking water about 14,000 arsenic free tube-wells were sunk in schools. Also separate toilets for boys and girls were constructed in schools. Requisite number of furniture was also supplied to the schools earlier. Moreover, repair and renovation works of 53 Primary Training Institutes (PTIs) were completed. One new PTI was established at Borguna district.

Cub-Scouts network is being formed in the primary schools for developing discipline, honesty, charity, and respect for labour among the students. At least one teacher from each school is being given necessary training to implement the scout movement.

Primary Education Fortnight is observed every year in all the primary schools of the country to socialize the movement for primary education.

School Tiffin Programme:

A special School Tiffin Programme has been introduced with the support of World Food Programme (WFP). Under this programme a child is provided with 75 grams of fortified biscuits as mid-day food. Initially the programme was introduced in Kurigram and Lalmonirhat districts and in some slums of the Dhaka city. This programme had been expanded in another six districts Jessore, Kustia, Panchagar, Chuadanga, Meherpur and Satkhira. The first phase of this programme will be completed in December 2005. Expansion of this programme to other parts of the country under the next country programme is now being worked out with WFP. The next phase is likely to continue up to 2010. In addition to this, an NGO is working in Tiffin programme on experimental basis in four upazilas (Melandah, Madargonj, Jamalpur, Sarishabari) of Jamalpur district. About 1 million students in 4,755 schools are being benefited through both the programmes.

Reaching Out of Schools Children (ROSC) Project:

In order to take care of the primary school dropouts and children missing the opportunity to go to the primary schools this project has been undertaken by the government. Under the project, education centers will be established on need basis throughout the country in collaboration with NGOs. About 500,000 children will get education opportunity during the project period (2004-2010). The project will cover only 60 upazilas. Out of them 60% upazila centers will be given financial assistance for the children to compensate the wages of the working students and grant for the learning center while the remaining 40% upazila centers will be provided with only grant for learning centers.

GO-NGO Co-operation for Primary Education Development:

The government realizes that without integration of civil society into primary education development activities, targeted goal of overall primary development cannot be achieved. To this end, some community schools established by the government are decided to be run by NGOs. On the other hand, some schools of unserved and under served areas have been given to NGOs for construction with GOB’s own resources. Accordingly, 188 schools have already been set up by the NGOs with GOB’s own resources.

BRAC is implementing pre-primary education programme to complement the government efforts.

· Measures have also been taken to enroll the floating poor children specially of the sub-urban and slum areas of 6 divisional cities in the “Basic Education for Hard to Reach Urban Children Project” which will help to reduce child labour in the country.

· In non-formal education side projects on Post Literacy and Continuing Education is under implementation to help reduce rural poverty through investments in human development. These projects will help reduce illiteracy and empowering the rural people by providing life skills and income generating skills. Provision has also been made to include 50 per cent female learners in these literacy centers. A good number of NGOs are collaborating with GOB under these projects.

· Massive social motivational programmes have been included in all the projects.

Second Ministerial Meeting of South Asia EFA Forum on Reaching the Unreached with focus on Decentralization

Dhaka, 13-14 December 2009

South Asian Strategies for Reaching the Unreached and Regional Collaboration

Education is a basic right and catalyst for attaining sustainable development. Education becomes an effective instrument of social changes when it functions as an empowering force by equipping human being with values and essential skills of literacy, numeracy, communication, problem solving and productive work. The state assurance of the entitlement of its citizens to education encompasses the access of the poor and marginalized people of all age-groups to quality basic and continuing education. Asserting the strategic importance of reaching the unreached people in achieving national and global target of Education for All, all the governments in South Asia adopted a number of measures in respective countries. But still there are a number of challenges, because of which these groups of people remain unserved or underserved from the EFA mainstream programmes.

A set of comprehensive strategic measures are required to be taken to meet the challenges and achieving EFA goals. Based on the lessons from previous experiences and good practices from within and outside the countries, we, the participants of the Second Ministerial Meeting of South Asia EFA Forum held in Dhaka in December 2009, develop through a consultative process and adopt the following strategic measures:

A. Strategies for Reaching the Unreached

1. Revisiting programme objectives, contents and expected competencies to meet the learning needs of various population groups

· Reviewing programme objectives and identifying gaps

· Redesigning different programme components along with indicators and tools for assessment of learning

· Ensuring quality of learning through sustainable programme package (e.g., long-term literacy programme)

· Re-identifying the learning needs and outcomes/competencies

2. Review and updating of existing policies and legislation to ensure access of the hard to reach/excluded groups of population to quality education

Analysis of effectiveness of existing policies and legislative provisions in reaching the unreached/excluded people in providing basic and continuing education

Identifying areas of improvement in the constitutional/legislative provisions and policies to support increased access of the unreached/excluded people

Making provisions to ensure inclusiveness and accessibility through formulating new policies/laws or updating existing policies/laws

3. Identifying the unreached and underserved population

· Identifying priority geographical areas (such as, districts with low literacy rate, island, coast and hill areas, indigenous populated areas, and urban slums)

· Prioritizing unreached target groups (such as, out-of school children including the dropouts, illiterate adolescents, youth, adults, hard core poor, women, girls, marginal income group, people in need of special education, people live in remote locations, disaster-prone areas and in conflict or post-conflict situation, climate change refugees) in the selected districts/locations

· Conducting survey to estimate accurate number of target people and level of literacy (e.g., literacy assessment survey, mapping)

· Undertaking qualitative research to analyze the context and profile of target people

· Assigning local government bodies to accurately identify the target people and their needs



4. Facilitating multi-stakeholder participation in achieving EFA goals, particularly reaching the unreached through decentralized planning and management

· Mapping of potential organizations/institutions/ government agencies, NGOs, private sector agencies and civil society organizations, analysis of capacities and specifying areas of collaboration, and recognizing their contributions

· Identifying stakeholders and their roles in planning, implementation and monitoring

Identifying the areas of partnership, collaboration and networking among the EFA service providers – GO, NGO, private agencies and academic institutions in implementation of EFA programmes

Working out measures to assess effectiveness of the multi-stakeholder collaboration


5. Decentralization of education management to ensure flexible programme delivery for the unreached/underserved

Developing mechanism through constitutional/legal provisions for local level planning and management

· Gradual decentralization of the education management at the district and sub-district levels to respond to the contextual programmatic needs and through gradual capacity enhancement of the actors at various level

· Institutionalization of the roles of local government bodies as facilitating and monitoring agencies

· Making provision for flexible programme delivery (context and socio-culturally appropriate, with preference to mother-tongue based programmes)


6. Facilitating exchange of experience ensuring learning and replicating good practices in reaching the unreached

Capacity building of EFA providers in documentation of good practices and lessons from ongoing programmes/practices in reaching the unreached

Increased investment and specific allocation for research and documentation of EFA interventions for the excluded groups of people

Institutionalization of the process of regular sharing of experience and lessons among the stakeholders


7. Institutional capacity enhancement and professional development of the EFA providers ensuring quality programme implementation

· Analyzing institutional strength of EFA providers in the context of emerging roles of education for sustainable development and emerging decentralized planning and management of EFA programmes

· Exploring various options of institutional strengthening, including public-private partnership, decentralized planning and management

· Preparing detailed human resource development plan for various EFA providers and making provision for additional human resource, logistics and financial allocation (with emphasis on teacher development)

· Establishing and/or strengthening EFA focused academy with multi-stakeholder participation to provide technical support


8. Resource mobilization and allocation for the unreached groups towards achieving EFA Goals

Assessment of resource requirement, making budgetary provision and allocation based on the identified needs of the target population in various locations or of various groups

Allocating 6% of GNP for education, as committed in the CONFINTEA and other UN Declarations and targeting allocation of 6% of the education budget to adult education with around half of it earmarked funding for literacy initiatives and innovative programmes to reach the unreached (the countries may opt to realocate funds among the programems as per need)

Sharing EFA programmes package to other development departments/partners to mobilize information, education, communication related human, material and/or financial resources from their budgets

Mobilizing Development Partners to allocate resources addressing the needs of the unreached population

Allocation of available resources on priority basis for the unreached population

Revenue measures (e.g., tax exemption) to encourage funding by corporate sector in education


9. Mobilizing media in support of reaching the unreached towards achieving EFA Goals

· Establishing EFA media forum to mobilize opinion in favour of EFA programmes tuned for unreached population

· Organizing media campaign at regular intervals at national and regional levels


B. Strategies for Collaboration and Networking in South Asia

10. Taking measures for establishing effective links between EFA Coordinators with education/EFA desk at SAARC Secretariat to ensure better coordination of education policies/programmes

11. Institutionalization of a system for regular communication among the EFA Coordinators (e.g., developing e-communication network) and gradually developing a ministerial level regional organization on education in South Asia (SAARC Regional Centre for Education like SEAMEO in South-East Asia)

12. Forming South Asia Taskforce for Education with participation of committed EFA stakeholders to facilitate exchange of expertise and experience as well as sharing good practices in the spirit of South-South cooperation

13. Establishing mechanism for dialogue at regular intervals on EFA agenda and monitoring of achievements in EFA goals, setting regional level standards/indicators (EFA Coordinators may meet on annual basis, Ministerial Meeting on biannual basis)

14. Networking of civil society EFA networks to support, follow-up and reporting on regional and national EFA initiatives

15. Promoting collaborative research on various thematic and programmatic aspects to provide input and evidence for policy dialogue and programme planning



DHAKA DECLARATION ON EFA, 2009

SECOND MINISTERIAL MEETING OF SOUTH ASIA EFA FORUM ON REACHING THE UN-REACHED WITH FOCUS ON DECENTRALIZATION

DHAKA DECLARATION ON EFA
14 December 2009

1. Preamble 

Recalling our resolve in Dakar on 28 April 2000 and Katmandu 12 April 2001 to create a South Asia EFA Forum and Islamabad Declaration 21–23 May 2003,

Acknowledging International Development Partners’ support in facilitating the activities of the South Asia EFA Forum and consistent efforts to reaching the un-reached through decentralization of planning and management for achieving Education for All,

We, the Ministers and representatives of Governments and Non-government Organizations from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, attending the Second Ministerial Meeting of the South Asia EFA Forum in Dhaka on 13 – 14 December 2009, recognize the progress and challenges in achieving the EFA goals, especially reaching the un-reached shared by the South Asian countries as reflected in the country reports,

We place on record that despite significant diversities among the countries with respect to size, geography, culture, social dynamics, level of economic development, etc, we consciously select the theme “Reaching the Un-reached with focus on Decentralization” and resource mobilization as our obligations to achieve EFA goals.

2. Achievements

Since EFA Assessment 2000 and Dakar Framework for Action, countries of the region have witnessed notable progress as indicated by:

2.1 Preparation of the National EFA plans through consultative processes with all stakeholders on strategies and policy development;

2.2 Continuous dialogue with International Agencies and Development Partners for enhancement of funding for bridging resource gaps;

2.3 Publication of National Mid Decade Assessment (MDA) reports with regional synthesis and sharing of the outcomes with all countries of the region;

2.4 Enhanced organizational and institutional capacity to meet the challenges ahead;

2.5 Increased activities to implement continuous assessment, especially of learners’ performance and outcome as a basis for in-country and cross-country comparisons;

2.6 Developed linkages between formal and non-formal systems of education through equivalence;

2.7 Built professional partnerships between the Government, Non-government Organizations and Private sector for sharing resources, knowledge and practices to meet the challenges of the EFA and relevant Millennium Development Goals;

2.8 Significant improvement in enrollment and reducing illiteracy, particularly, of girls and women;

2.9 Increased efforts in each country for detailed costing of the Education Plans and its linkage with other national strategies and plans including the Country Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP);

2.10 Resources allocated for proactive gender sensitive programmes for quality education including literacy.

3. Challenges

We note with concern that South Asian countries face many formidable challenges such as:

3.1 High level of poverty and illiteracy;

3.2 Limited awareness amongst the un-reached about the EFA programmes;

3.3 Absence of guidelines for promoting public-private partnership;

3.4 Shortage of professionals for planning, implementation and evaluation of EFA programmes;

3.5 Limited use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT);

3.6 Not enough clarity in the role of Local Government;

3.7 Weak South-South and South-North cooperation;

3.8 Inadequate attention to education research;

3.9 Increasing gap in quality of education between the rich and the poor as well as rural and urban population;

3.10 Lack of effective coordination among the Government, Research Institutions and NGOs;

3.11 Absence of redressal mechanisms for the un-reached;

3.12 Relatively poor quality of education and inadequate learning achievement;

3.13 Inadequate systematic and regular evidence of learning outcomes;

3.14 Absence of reliable and consistent database to monitor the progress of EFA goals;

3.15 Inadequate funding for EFA from Government and other domestic sources;

3.16 Limited funding from the international community;

3.17 Non-fulfillment of Islamabad Declaration on allocation of 4% of the GDP for education;

3.18 Lack of balance in prioritizing the budget allocation for programmes;

3.19 Limited involvement of the local Government in management and financing education;

3.20 Insufficient budgetary allocation to non-formal education and skill development;

3.21 Global economic crisis inhibiting the Government and Development Partners to maintain or enhance the level of financing;

3.22 Absence/inadequate application of standards, norms and regulations for private educational institutions;

3.23 Inadequate institutional provisions for education and educational support of children affected by disaster, conflicts and post conflict situations.

4. Collective Statement

Taking note of the above achievements as well as challenges and our commitment towards implementation of the Dakar Framework for Action for achieving EFA goals, we recognize that education is the most crucial factor influencing the economic, social, political and human aspects of life and to ensure peace, solidarity and prosperity of the nations of this region;

We, therefore, collectively affirm and commit, in the context of Reaching the Un-reached to:

4.1 Enforce the right to education for all effectively, if needed through amendment or fresh legislation to make it justiciable;

4.2 Examine the main causes of exclusion and barriers to education for the un-reached;

4.3 Identify the un-reached groups;

4.4 Prepare a disaggregated database;

4.5 Review/enact law for decentralization of formal and non formal education planning and management;

4.6 Review and reformulate education policies and practices to reach the un-reached;

4.7 Review/prepare necessary policies, strategies and practices for effective decentralization;

4.8 Strengthen institutional and organizational capacity for education planning and management;

4.9 Ensure participation of all stakeholders including community, media and civil society organizations in achieving EFA goals;

4.10 Establish effective monitoring, evaluation and feedback mechanisms for measuring the outcomes;

4.11 Establish network and collaboration with other sectors contributing to EFA;

4.12 Undertake a comprehensive assessment of resource requirement for achieving EFA with specific reference to reaching the un-reached;

4.13 Allocate at least 6 percent of the GDP to education;

4.14 Avail all opportunities for mobilizing internal collaborative fund;

4.15 Determine the gap between the required and internally available resources;

4.16 Mobilize resources through external funding;

4.17 Ensure better coordination and cooperation among the countries of South Asia for resource mobilization;

4.18 Determine the gap in the availability of human resource and create adequate infrastructure for its development;

4.19 Urge the Development Partners and corporate sector to increase/provide funding to ensure realization of EFA goals by 2015;

5. Concluding Statement

We, the participating South Asian countries, ensure wide dissemination of this Dhaka Declaration along with strategies (South Asian Strategies for Reaching the Unreached) formulated to reach the un-reached and play a proactive role incorporating and reflecting the commitment of the declaration through review of the National Plans of Action for EFA as well as other working documents and activities.

We also acknowledge the contributions of Bangladesh in organizing the Second Ministerial Meeting of South Asia EFA Forum in Dhaka.

We announce that India has agreed to consider favourably organizing the Third Meeting of the South Asia EFA Forum in 2011.

The theme of the Third Ministerial Meeting of the Forum will remain unchanged, “Reaching the Unreached” with the focus on implementation of Katmandu Joint Statement, Islamabad Declaration and Dhaka Declaration

Primary Education (Compulsory) Act, 1990

[ Published: The Bangladesh Gazette, Extra, 13 February, 1990 (1 Falgun, 1396 of Bangle Year)]

Part V-Acts, Bills, etc., of the Bangladesh Parliament

Bangladesh Parliament, Dhaka, 13 February, 1990 (1 Falgun, 1396 of Bangle Year)

The following acts of Parliament received the assent of the President on the 13 February, 1990 (1 Falgun, 1396 of Bangle Year) and are hereby published for general information Primary Education (Compulsory) Act, 1990.

Act No. 27 of 1990

An Act made to provide for the obligation to primary education.

Whereas it is expedient to provide for the obligation to primary education;

Therefore the following Act is hereby made.

1. Short title. This Act may be called (Obligation to) Primary Education Act, 1990.

2. Definitions. Unless there is anything repugnant in the context, in this Act-

a) "Guardian" means the child's father or, in his absence, the mother or, in the absence of both parents, any person taking care of the child.

b) "Committee" means Obligation to Primary Education Committee established as under section 4.

c) "Primary Education" means education for children determined or consented to by the Government.

d) "Primary Education Institute" means any governmental or non-governmental educational institute where provision for primary education has been made.

e) "Child" means any boy or girl between 6 and 10 years.

3. Obligation to primary education.

(1) The Government may, by notification in the official Gazette, declare primary education obligatory in whatever area from whenever onwards.

(2) The guardian of any child dwelling permanently in a area where primary education is obligatory shall, in the absence of justified reasons, get his child admitted for the purpose of receiving primary education in a primary education institute of the said area in the vicinity of his place of residence.

(3) The "justified reasons" mentioned in subsection (1) shall be understood as the following reasons, namely:

a) The impossibility of admitting a child in a primary education institute for illness or any other unavoidable reason.

b) The non availability of a primary education institute within 2 kilometres of the dwelling place of the child.

c) The impossibility of admitting a child in a primary education institute even if applied for.

d) The decision of a primary education officer that the education a child is receiving at the time being is equivalent to a primary education.

e) The decision of a primary education officer that it is not desirable to enter a child in a primary education institute on account of it's being mentally retarded.

(4) In the areas where primary education shall be obligatory no person shall keep children engaged in such occupations as may prevent them from attending a primary education institute for the purpose of receiving primary education.

4. Obligatory Primary Education Committee.

(1) Every area where primary education shall be obligatory shall have a Committee called Obligatory Primary Education Committee for every ward of the union or municipal areas.

(2) The Committee for any union ward shall be formed by the following members, namely:

a) a member of the ward nominated by the Chairman of the Upazila Council, who shall be its Chairman too.

b) two patronizers of learning nominated by the Chairman of the Upazila Council after taking the advice of the Chairman of the Union Council.

c) two lady patronizers of learning nominated by the Chairman of the Upazila Council after taking the advice of the Chairman of the union Council.

d) the headmaster or lady principal of a primary education institute, who shall be it's secretary too.

(3) The Committee for any municipal area ward shall be formed by the following members, namely:

a) a ward commissioner nominated by the Mayor of the municipal corporation or the Chairman of the municipal meeting, who shall be it's Chairman too.

b) two patronizers of learning nominated by the said Mayor or Chairman after taking the advice of the ward commissioner.

c) two lady patronizers of learning nominated by the said Mayor or Chairman after taking the advice of the ward commissioner.

d) the headmaster or lady principal of the primary education institute, who shall be the secretary too.

(4) There being more than one primary education institute in a ward, the headmaster or lady principal of any of these shall be member of the Committee and the Chairman of the Upazila respectively the Mayor of the municipal corporation, or the Chairman of the municipal council shall decide who of those shall be secretary of the Committee.

5. Duties and Responsabilities of the Committee.

(1) The Committee shall ensure that all children dwelling permanently in its area be entered in and regularly present at the primary education institute, and shall take for this purpose all measures it deems necessary or which are prescribed by the Government.

(2) The Committee shall prepare a list of all children dwelling permanently in it's area, which shall contain the name of the child, the name of the guardian and the age of the child; the names of the children to be entered in a primary education institute or to be exempted therefrom shall be contained in the list seperately.

(3) The list prepared according to subsection (2) shall be rectified every year in the last week of December; the names of those who cease to be children with the beginning of the new year shall be cancelled and the names of those who will be children entered.

(4) A copy of the list mentioned in subsection (2) and the rectified list mentioned in subsection (3) shall be sent to all primary education institutes situated within two kilometres of the primary education officer and the concerned ward.

(5) Every year in the last week of January, the headmaster or lady principal of any primary education institute shall send a list containing the names of all children entered in their institute to the concerned Committee and primary education officer.

(6) The headmaster or lady principal of any primary education institute shall send, in the first week of any month, a list containing the names of all children who had been absent for at least 7 days during the foregoing month to the concerned Committee and primary education officer.

(7) Where the Committee is satisfied that a child entered in its list has, without justified reasons, not been entered in a primary education institute or been absent for at least 7 days within a month without the approval of the headmaster or lady principal of the education institute, it may after hearing the statement of the guardian or, if necessary, investigating the case, give order that the guardian of the child, in case of the child's not having been admitted, admit the child within the term determined by the Committee in a primary education institute, or that, in case of the child's having been absent, he ensure that the child be present regularly at the education institute concerned.

6. Punishment.

(1) If any Committee fails to accomplish it's duties under this Act, any of its members shall be punished with a fine of not more 200 Takas.

(2) If any guardian fails three times in a row to comply with an order given under section 5 (7), he shall be punished with a fine of not more than 200 Takas.

7. Cognizance of an offence.

Without a complaint in written form by the Chairman of the Committee, no Court shall take cognizance of any offence under this Act.

8. Power to make rules.

The Government may, by notification in the official Gazette, make rules for the purpose of this Act.

Source: http://www.dpe.gov.bd/ and www.mopme.gov.bd