Browsing by Author "Nath, Samir Ranjan"

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Achievement of competencies of the students of BRAC non-formal primary schools, 2000-2002
(BRAC Research and Evaluation Division (RED), 2003-06) Nath, Samir Ranjan
Using the test instrument developed for Education Watch 2000, this study assessed the achievement of competencies of the students of BRAC non-formal primary schools. Three batches of students (second, third and fourth) completing full cycle of primary education within a time span of four years were the subjects of this study. The findings reveal that with regard to competency achievement the students of all the three batches performed equally. Both inter and intra school variations in performance reduced over time. However, gender gap, where girls were behind the boys, increased sharply. In order to increase overall performance and to reduce gender gap classroom teachings m Mathematics, Social Studies and General Science need to be examined carefully.
Adolescent-to-adolescent development a pilot assessment of adolescent peer organised network
(BRAC Research and Evaluation Division (RED), 2003-08) Khan, Md. Kaisar A; Nath, Samir Ranjan; Kabir, Md. Mahbubul
This is an early assessment of BRAC's Adolescent Peer Organised Network (APON) programme - an initiative towards adolescent-to-adolescent development in order to acquire and share knowledge through peer organised network. This study aimed to examine the knowledge of the participants of this programme, measure changes in their attitude, know status of knowledge dissemination, whether leadership skills are developed, and know perception of the course participants and others. Data were collected from 200 adolescents from two areas (team offices) of two regions under BRAC Education Programme. A half of the sampled adolescents was programme participants and the rest non-participants. The selected adolescents were interviewed using structured questionnaire, which contained a test and related questions. Focus group discussions were also held with the programme participants and their mothers separately. Findings reveal that the APON course participants had significantly better knowledge than the non-participants in different social, legal, health and environmental issues. Their attitude on some issues was positively different than the non-participants. The course participants disseminated their knowledge to others, especially among the peer adolescents. The initiative developed leadership quality among the participants to some extent. The course is being accepted gradually in the society. This course would benefit the adolescents if they can implement their knowledge in real life situation, for instance, through linking this course with occupation and everyday life and continuing the network for longer period.
Adolescents and youths in Bangladesh: some selected issues
(BRAC Research and Evaluation Division (RED), 2006) Nath, Samir Ranjan
An evaluation of BRAC pre-primary education program
(BRAC Research and Evaluation Division (RED), 2008-09) Nath, Samir Ranjan; Shahjamal, Mirja Mohammad
BRAC operates over 20,000 pre-primary education centres in the areas of formal primary schools. It is a one year long course and in each centre recruits 25 to 30 pupils. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ongoing practices of BRAC pre-primary education programme adopting both qualitative and quantitative research approaches. The findings section has four distinct parts, viz., review of pre-primary curricula, implementation of the curricula, socioeconomic background of pupils, and performance of PP graduates comparable to non-PP students. All areas have identified some interesting findings and concerns. BEP policy and regulations regarding teachers’ recruitment somehow went against BRAC philosophy related to promotion of women. Children’s from poorer communities were left out of the programme due to the nature of collaboration between government and BRAC. There is strong argument regarding rethinking of curriculum, textbooks, teacher preparation, etc. In addition to noticing the major concerns regarding the programme, some suggestions were made for its improvement.
An exploration of the assessment for English (compulsory) at the Secondary School Certificate Examination of Dhaka Board
(BRAC University, 2008-12) Islam, Mohammad Aminul; Nath, Samir Ranjan
This dissertation examines some imbedded problems of our assessment procedures at the secondary level education. The whole study was based on the English teachers who examined the answer script of the SSC English papers under Dhaka Board in 2006. This research reflects some assertion like marking variations among the examiners, the examiners quality, their education, recruitment, training and teachers' satisfaction of present assessment. Based on the teachers' opinion it highlights some important issues by which the assessment procedures could be built with less controversy and be accepted as a rigorous one. Thus, it goes on to consider the current situation of the secondary education assessment procedures and to suggest ways in which sustainable change can be effected by building on what teachers already do.
Assessment of basic education: a comparison among BRAC, formal and never schooled children
(BRAC Research and Evaluation Division (RED), 1998-01) Nath, Samir Ranjan
This report aims to compare the level of basic education of the learners of non-formal schools of BRAC, formal schools and never schooled children. Data were collected from five areas where a surveillance system was in operation. A sample of 720 children, equally distributed by study groups and sex, were randomly selected. This study reveals that NFPE graduates were more likely to have better level of basic education compared to their peers in formal schools. None of the never schooled children had basic education. Neither the formal nor the non-formal system could reach the WCEFA goal to achieve an 80% level of basic education.
Basic competencies of the graduates of BRAC non-formal primary schools declining
(BRAC Research and Evaluation Division (RED), 2003-01) Nath, Samir Ranjan
Based on the Declaration of the World Conference on Education for All held in Jomtien in 1990, BRAC designed an instrument to measure the level of basic education of Bangladeshi children. The Research and Evaluation Division of BRAC regularly monitors the performance of the graduates of BRAC's non-formal primary schools through this instrument. The instrument has four sections - reading, writing, numeracy and life skills knowledge. A respondent satisfying the set criteria in all the four areas was considered as having basic education. This report presents the basic educational status of the graduates of four cohorts of 1995, 1997, 1999 and 2001. Four independent samples were drawn from these four cohorts and the graduates were tested after nine/ten months of their graduation. Besides, re-test of the previously assessed graduates were done during the following surveys. Sampling design was similar in each survey. Children from three types of BRAC schools were assessed, these are Non Formal Primary Education (NFPE) and Basic Education for Older Children (BEOC) directly run by BRAC Education Programme, and NFPE under the Education Support Programme (ESP) operated by other NGOs with support from BRAC. The sample size for the four independent surveys was about 1,260 each. Not all former graduates were found in the re-surveys, for instance only a third of the graduates of 1995 were common in all the four surveys.
Basic competencies of the graduates of BRAC's non-formal schools: levels and trends from 1995 to 1999
(BRAC Research and Evaluation Division (RED), 2000-04) Nath, Samir Ranjan
Based on the Declaration of the World Conference on Education held in Jomtien in 1990, BRAC designed an instrument to measure the level of basic education of Bangladeshi children. The Research and Evaluation Division of BRAC regularly monitors the performance of the graduates of BRAC's non-formal schools through this instrument. This report presents the basic educational status of the graduates of three cohorts of 1995, 1997 and 1999. Three independent samples were drawn from three cohorts and the learners were tested after nine/ten months of their graduation. The sample from 1995 cohort was also tested in 1997 and 1999; and the sample from 1997 cohort was tested in 1999. Children from three systems of BRAC schools were assessed: those in Non Formal Primary Education (NFPE) and in Basic Education for Older Children (BEOC) which was directly operated by BRAC, and NFPE under the Education Support Programme (ESP) which are operated by other NGOs with support from BRAC. The sample sizes for the three independent surveys were 1259 each. Among the 1,259 graduates of 1995 and 1997 each, 812 of 1995 and 991 of 1997 could be traced in 1999; these are respectively 64.5% and 78.7% of the original samples. Of the sample of 1995 graduates only 54.3% were common in all the three surveys.
Case studies of quality primary education in Bangladesh
(BRAC Research and Evaluation Division (RED), 2004-10) Nath, Samir Ranjan; Mahbub, Amina; Shahjamal, Mirja M; Kabir, Md. Mahbubul; Zafar, Tata
How do some primary schools in Bangladesh succeed despite of well documented constrains they face? The major primary education research programmes conducted in Bangladesh over recent years have consistently demonstrated that the inputs to primary education are insufficient and often of poor quality, teaching and learning processes remain limited to a very narrow range of practice, and achievement levels are disappointingly low. Findings of the PSPMP study, Education Watch, ESTEEM classroom research and several official government documents and statistics reflect all the above. So how is it that certain schools manage to provide a high quality of education in the circumstances, when the problems exist for all? The survey-based methods commonly used to study the factors determining educational opportunity and outcomes have taken us some distance in understanding success and failure, but the complexity of the school as a living community demands that further insights be obtained by expanding the horizons of our research activities. To this end, the present study attempts to draw on anthropological and ethnographic research traditions to achieve original insights into what it feels like to live in and be part of a school, which really makes a difference. The quality of education has been defined in a broader sense, which includes strong community participation in school improvement, leadership quality of the school heads, teachers' active participation in mentoring the learners, healthy teaching learning atmosphere in the classrooms, putting students in the centre of educational setting, and learning achievement of the students. It has recognized that having all these characteristics in one school is too much to want - a school can be successful in any one or more of the above areas. Six case studies have prepared on purposively selected six successful primary schools in Bangladesh - five of these schools are government and one is registered non-government. These are located in six different districts viz., Bandarban, Chittagong, Dhaka, Jessore, Nawabganj and Pabna. Selection of the schools was guided by the Steering Committee fom1ed for the study. The Research and Evaluation Division of BRAC conducted the study.
Change in health knowledge of Bangladeshi children: five years experience
(BRAC Research and Evaluation Division (RED), 1999-11) Nath, Samir Ranjan; Chowdhury, A Mushtaque R.
This article explores the improvement in the level of health knowledge of Bangladeshi children over a five year period 1993-1998. Data were generated from two nationally representative sample surveys covering respectively 2,520 and 3,360 children aged 11-12 years. Six health knowledge items, relevant to life in Bangladesh, were considered. Analyses revealed a significant improvement in the knowledge over the period. However, significant socio-economic variations also persisted in the performance. Rural children improved much faster compared to their urban counterparts. In both the surveys, children's performance varied significantly by items. To equip children with necessary health knowledge this study suggested strengthening health education at primary level in Bangladesh.
Children's performance in reading and writing Bangla: a comparison between BRAC and formal school
(BRAC Research and Evaluation Division (RED), 1998-01) Nath, Samir Ranjan
This report aims to compare the performance of the learners of non-formal schools of BRAC and formal schools in reading and writing Bangla Data were collected from five areas where a surveillance system was in operation. A sample of 480 children, equally distributed by study groups and sex. were randomly selected. This study reveals that NFPE graduates were more likely to have better skills in writing and overall t:est compared to their peers in formal schools. However, in reading both. the groups performed equally well. Measures such as proper training of teachers, regular parent-teacher meeting, and intensive supervision and monitoring of teaching learning activities may be a key to improve the overall education situation in Bangladesh.
Competencies achievement of BRAC NFPE students improving
(BRAC Research and Evaluation Division (RED), 2004-06) Nath, Samir Ranjan; Shahjamal, Mirja M
Competency achievement of the students of BRAC non- fonnal primary schools at the end of their primary cycle was assessed and reported in this article. Four cohorts of students were considered and brought under assessment at the end of respective academic cycle. They are the students of second, third, fourth and fifth batches completing the courses between 2000 and 2003. The findings reveal that overall perfonnance of the NFPE graduates increased over time. The graduates of the recent years are getting more homogeneous than the previous years and inter-school variation significantly reduced over the period. Gender difference in achievement also decreased recently. A collective effort of the teachers, programme organisers and the management was urged to keep this trend on.
Competencies achievement of BRAC school students: trends, comparisons and predictors
(BRAC Research and Evaluation Division (RED), 2012-04) Nath, Samir Ranjan
The National Curriculum and Textbook Board in Bangladesh specified 50 terminal competencies which are supposed to be achieved by the students’ throughout the cycle of primary education. The competency-based test instrument which was developed for Education Watch 2000 was administered on a sample of BRAC school graduates of each year during 2000-2010. This monograph is an outcome of analyses of all these test results. Although the rural BRAC non-formal schools were common in each year, samples from BRAC’s non-formal urban, formal and community schools and the schools for ethnic minorities were taken in some years. Sometimes, the government primary schools were also included. Taking all these test data into account, this monograph presents a repeated cross-sectional analysis of performance of BRAC schools. Comparison of various types of BRAC schools, rural and urban schools, and with government schools are also provided. Separate analyses for boys and girls were done as a cross-cutting issue. The findings reveal that the performance of BRAC non-formal school students increased over time. The students did best in environmental studies (science and social studies) followed by Bangla, mathematics and English. Urban students did better than the rural students and the Bangalis than the ethnic minorities. Best performance was observed in BRAC formal schools followed by community schools and non-formal schools. Variation among schools and students persisted although reduced over time. Three major predictors of both types of variations were quality of teachers assessed by the area managers, proportion of contents taught in the classrooms and religion of the students. The former two positively influenced the achievement of competencies and the Muslim students performed better than the non-Muslims. If the programme organizers were frequently changed or they were given more schools to supervise, the students performed poorly. Contribution of the school and teacher-related factors in predicting learning achievement was more than that of the supervisors and students background characteristics. The BRAC school students were more likely to do well in the test compared to those in the government schools. Magnitude of difference was more among the girls than the boys. However, in both the cases, boys outperformed the girls.
Continuation of BRAC non-formal school graduates of 1995 in formal school education
(BRAC Research and Evaluation Division (RED), 2000-05) Nath, Samir Ranjan
The education programme of BRAC not only provides quality basic education to its learners it also put emphasis on their enrolment in formal schools for further education. The Research and Evaluation Division of BRAC started a tracer study on the graduates of BRAC non-formal schools in 1995. This article, based on the data generated from the tracer study, explores the continuation of education of the graduates of BRAC non-formal schools in formal schools. Three types of schools were considered. These are BRAC operated NonFormal Primary Education (NFPE) and Basic Education for Older Children (BEOC), and NFPE under Education Support Programme (ESP). A representative sample of 1,259 graduates of 1995, who completed three years course in BRAC schools, was followed up and surveyed in 1995, 1997 and 1999 to collect various information including their schooling status. However, in this third survey 1,106 could be traced. The following are the major [mdings from the third survey round: 1. After graduating from BRAC schools in 1995, 90% children were enrolled in formal schools for further education (90.4% for boys and 89.9% for girls). 2. On average, around 10% of the graduates dropped out from the formal systems per year. Highest dropout occurred during the second year of formal schooling (16.6%). Up to October 1999, 39.6% of the graduates were continuing education in different formal schools . 3. There was no gender gap at the time of entering the formal schooling but boys dropout increased from the second year. In October 1999, 33% of the boys and 42.3% of the girls was continuing education in formal schools. 4. A higher proportion of children of NFPE continued education in formal schools than children of BEOC and NFPE-ESP. 5. The children who graduated from NFPE generally enrolled in Class IV or V, and the graduates of BEOC mostly enrolled in class V or VI. Some children enrolled in class III even they completed three years curriculum in BRAC schools. 6. Over three-quarters of the graduates of 1995 completed five-year cycle of primary education by 1998 (69.1% for boys and 79% for girls). School-wise 78.2% of NFPE, 70.4% of BEOC and 65.2% of NFPE-ESP completed primary cycle. 7. The relationship between survival rate and grade of entry in formal schools was negative. The survival rate was highest among those enrolled in class IV (50.6%), less among those enrolled in Class V (42.2%) and least among those enrolled in Class VI or more (33.1%). 8. After graduating from BRAC schools the children mostly got enrolled in government primary schools (70.7%) and non-government high schools (17.5%). After about four 4 255 years of their graduation, among the children who survived in formal schools up to early 1999 85.6% were found in non-government high schools. 9. Proportion of graduates enrolled in Madrassas was 4.5% in 1995. Among the children who survived up to early 1999,11.4% were in such type of schools. 10. Two major causes of dropout was 'scarcity of money' (39.1%) and'marriage'.(40.1%). For boys dropout, the major reasons were 'scarcity of money' (65.3%), 'disliking for school' (16.4%), and 'has to work at home or outside' (12%). For girls two major reasons included 'marriage' (59.2%) and 'scarcity of money' (26.5%). 11. Demographic and socio-economic characteristics played significantly important role in continuation of education. Younger children were more likely to continue for longer period than older children. Parental education has significant positive relationship with survival rate. The survival rate decreased from 83.3% in early 1995 to 24.6% in October 1999 among the children came from the households eligible for BRAC rural development programme. However, these rates were respectively 93.7% and 47.4% among those came from non-eligible households.
Development of instruments to assess the achievement of national competencies at the end of primary education cycle
(BRAC Research and Evaluation Division (RED), 2000-08) Nath, Samir Ranjan; Ghosh, Sanat Kumar; Akter, Shaheen
This report presents a detailed description of development of assessment tools for the evaluation of students' learning achievement on the basis of 53 terminal competencies specified by the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) of the Government of Bangladesh. This is the first attempt in the country to cover all the terminal competencies in assessment process. A team of school-teachers, teacher educators, curriculum experts, education psychologists, test development experts participated in the process. The competencies were divided into two broad categories viz., cognitive and non-cognitive. Two separate tools were developed for assessing the two types of competencies on the basis of pilot studies in both rural and urban areas. For the cognitive competencies a paper and pencil based test instrument containing 66 items was developed. For the assessment of non-cognitive competencies a tool was developed to have teachers' appraisal of students qualifications. It is expected that valid and reliable estimates of students' performance could be obtained through these tools.
Enrollment at primary level: gender difference disappears in Bangladesh
(BRAC Research and Evaluation Division (RED), 1999-12) Chowdhury, A. Mushtaque R.; Nath, Samir Ranjan; Choudhury, Rasheda K.
In the recent past, there has been a number of new initiatives to improve the access to primary education in many developing countries. Such initiatives, which came from the public, private and non-governmental (NGO) sectors, have resulted in improved performance in various efficiency indicators. This paper reports results from a nationwide study in Bangladesh on the levels and changes in enrollment pattern of children at the primary level. Gross enrollment ratio has reached 107% and net enrollment 77%. Gender gap has disappeared; in fact girls have surpassed boys! However, the increase in enrollment taking place is not at the desired speed; it is less than one percentage point per year. The government is still the major provider of primary education with two-thirds of all enrollments, but non formal schools run by NGOs also have important contribution in the positive changes that are taking place in Bangladesh.
Exploring low performance in education the case of Sylhet division overview
(Education Watch, 2009) Nath, Samir Ranjan; Kabir, Md. Mahbubul; Ahmed, Kazi Saleh; Roy, Goutam; Hossain, Awlad; Alam, S. M. Nurul; Chowdhury, Fazlul Karim; Mahbub, Amina; Chowdhury, A.M.R
Bangladesh has made progress in various arena of socio-economic development since its Independence in 1971. Such progress has been possible due to continuous and . collective effort of common people, the government and the development partners. However, sadly, after four decades of Independence, a high rate of poverty with huge income and wealth inequalities are the realities. Education is a key to address the challenges of development. The country has improved much in various aspects of educational attainment. Major improvement has occurred during the past two decades. An unfortunate feature of educational development in the country, however, is the inequity. Inequities exist in terms of school type, streams of education, geographical locations and socioeconomic status. Coexistence of development and inequity does not match with the spirit of our Constitution or the new Education Policy 2010. Elimination of inequity from education in Bangladesh is urgently needed. In-depth studies are required to understand the nature of such inequities, fonnulate policies for an equitable educational provision and proper implementation of such policies.Geographically, Sylhet division is a low performing region. This study explored the reasons behind the slow progress of Sylhet division in school education. This can be considered as a case study on Sylhet division in the broader context of regional deprivation in education.
Gender difference in mathematics achievement among the graduates of BRAC schools
(BRAC Research and Evaluation Division (RED), 1998-05) Nath, Samir Ranjan
This study aims to explore the gender difference in mathematics achievement of the graduates of BRAC schools. Data generated in the numeracy section of the study on assessment of basic competencies of the graduates of BRAC schools of 1997 were analysed for this purpose. Two types of BRAC schools, viz., NFPE and BEOC, were considered in this study. Both bi-variate and multivariate approach were used to analyse the data. The findings of this study clearly showed that achievement in mathematics is significantly lower among girls than boys in BRAC schoQls (p
Gender difference in the arithmetical knowledge of children in Bangladesh
(Manchester University Press, 1997) Nath, Samir Ranjan; Mohsin, M.; Chowdhury, A.M..R.
HOPE not COMPLACENCY: state of primary education in Bangladesh 1999
(BRAC Research and Evaluation Division (RED), 1999-08) Chowdhury, A Mushtaque R.; Choudhury, Rasheda K.; Nath, Samir Ranjan