PPA/Unit 4: National Plan of Action – II (NPA-II)

You know that to ensure free and compulsory primary education, Bangladesh Government has introduced National Plan of Action (NPA-II) which is targeted to be achieved by the year 2015. Government has acknowledged education as a basic right of the people to ensure the provision of universal and compulsory free primary education to all children. Bangladesh Government has developed NPA policy document to supplement universal Education for All (EFA), Policy Framework in the targeted spectrum.

As a follow-up to the world conference on EFA at Jomtien, Thailand, NPA – I was formulated in 1991 with targets to achieve by the year 2000. The basic goals of NPA-I was to enhance both the quantitative and qualitative dimension of the programmes it proposed and take up other feasible supportive programmes to attain the targets successfully. During the NPA-I period three major programmes were implemented for development of primary education: the general education project, 1990-1996; Primary Education Development Programme – I; and Food for Education/ Cash for Education and Female Secondary Stipend Programme. These projects have made significant contributions to the development of primary education in Bangladesh. Matrix on access and equity in primary education vis-à-vis NPA-I goals are given in Table-1.

As a follow-up to NPA-I, Bangladesh Government has introduced NPA-II in 2003 to establish a knowledge-based and technologically-oriented competent society to ensure that every school-age child has access to primary level institutions that provide all necessary facilities. The MOPME document “Learning to Change” has identified the following major challenges amongst others:


 * Appropriate school infrastructure with availability of school within the reach of each and every child throughout the country while school environment and contact hours would have to be sufficiently improved and standardized.
 * Child-friendly pedagogic approaches with emphasis on life-skills, awareness of social environments and appreciation of global knowledge resources have to be prioritized in the development of curriculum and textbooks.
 * A key challenge will be to identify and implement incremental and realistic steps to improve school governance on a sustainable basis with more effective community participation and meaningful oversight by sector administration.
 * Parallel to improving school governance, realistic strategies to improve sector governance is a priority with particular focus on (i) meaningful decentralization in relevant areas of decision-making, (ii) R&D on improving the system of primary education, and, (iii) capacity development of the Upazilla Resource Centres (URCs).

Overall the guiding principles of NPA-II vis-à-vis primary education is on ensuring equal opportunity for all school age children (6-10 years) to have free access to an agreed minimum quality of education, regardless of the stream followed (mainstream primary schools, madrasah, others) or by management (government, non-government, local government) of the institution attended.The NPA-II targets are given in Table 2.

There are many primary schools in Bangladesh that function on shift system due to lack of adequate infrastructure. NPA-II plans to eliminate shift system by 2010. it also envisages that primary schools should be within easily accessible range closer to home and thus, community schools shall be established supported by NGOs.

Child friendly school building is vital part of quality education. An ideal school building should have adequate number of classrooms, sufficient air and light facility, plenty teaching learning materials, big open play ground, student’s common room, separate toilet for boy and girl, teacher’s room, library, computer lab and auditorium.

The NPA-II articulates Government’s plan for school infrastructure by 2015 as follows:
 * Every school building will have nine rooms each, where five of them will be used as classroom. One will be used for preschool, one for library; one for teacher’s room and one will be used as computer lab.
 * Each and every room will be full of light and air
 * Every class room will be spacious (Minimum 50 sq. m)
 * Each primary school to have two computers to be placed adjacent to the library
 * School library to be equipped with adequate supplementary reading materials to help develop reading habit
 * The use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to foster creative potential of each child
 * Have flexible table and chairs (furniture) in each classroom to facilitate activity-based learning

Having adequate and quality human resources (especially teachers) are important for any quality school. The NPA-II has given sufficient focus to this aspect in terms of recommendations for qualified teachers, their training and continuous professional development. It also has recommended improved salary package for teachers to attract and retain quality teachers. Realizing that teachers are used mostly for administrative and non-teaching tasks, it recommends a complete focus on classroom and its aactivities. It also recognizes that to improve primary schools, particular attention should be places on library and other infrastructural facilities at the Primary Teachers’ Training Institutes (PTIs), and need for recruiting quality instructors. Revitalizing the national Academy of Primary Education (NAPE) by introducing B.Ed. (Primary) and M.Ed. (Primary) to encourage basic research is yet another recommendations.

Specific recommendations of NPA-II with reference to teachers in primary schools are:
 * All teachers should have at least Bachelor’s degree by 2008
 * All new recruitments in primary schools should have minimum B.Ed.
 * The Head Teacher should be BA and B.Ed. by 2008 and M.Ed. by 2010
 * All posts are filled in all the schools immediately
 * Teacher-student ratio is 1:40 by 2015
 * Sixty percent of teachers in the primary schools should be female by 2015
 * No teacher without training be placed in the classroom
 * Every new recruit without B.Ed. to receive 2-weeks orientation course covering pedagogy, lesson planning, classroom norms, and how to facilitate class and deal with children in a child friendly participatory format
 * Every teacher to receive 2-days training every month on subject-centered pedagogy
 * All non-trained teachers to complete C-in-Ed. From PTI within 1st year of recruitment.

The heart of a quality school is its child friendly teaching-learning methods. To a large extent this is possible, if the human resources are qualified and are trained in child-centred pedagogy. Teaching learning in the primary schools should be activity-based and problem-centred to foster creativity and develop critical thinking in children. The NPA-II recommends that classroom environment should be improved by suing child-friendly and participatory approach, making the learning a joyful experience, involving children in school improvement and maintenance activities through group project.

Specific recommendations of NPA-II are:
 * Minimum class hour to be 35 minutes for Grades I-III ad 45 minutes for Grades IV-V
 * Teachers to ensure that every child completes the class and homework
 * Use of interesting reading materials to promote reading habits
 * Use of Continuous Pupil assessment (CPA) for Grade I-II and Continuous Learning Assessment (CLA) for Grades III-V
 * Quarterly and annual report card as evidence of performance of children is given to parents
 * Organize remedial classes for weaker pupils
 * Primary School Certificate as public examination at the end of Grade V

Thus, NPA-II envisages that improving the quality of classroom transactions in primary schools shall be useful in ushering a knowledge-based society in Bangladesh.

The NPA-II recognizes the importance of good governance, management and accountability. In order to improve the governance of primary schools, it plays a strong emphasis on the roles and responsibilities of School management Committees (SMC). It also recommends that the use of computerized Management Information system (MIS) to strengthen supervision and monitoring of school performance.

Specific recommendations related to governance in NPA-II are:
 * Operational SMCs in every school with specific roles and responsibilities as per Government order
 * Inclusive approach in school enrolment covering access to all school-age children regardless of their location, disability, poverty and other such conditions
 * Maintenance of educational statistics at school level covering the geographical area of the primary school