BANGLADESH SABER Country Report Engaging the Private Sector in Education 2016 Policy Goals for Independent Private Schools Status 1. Encouraging Innovation by Providers Teacher standards are set by the central government, which also has authority over class sizes and delivery of the curriculum. Schools have autonomy over appointment, deployment, and dismissal of teachers, as well as teacher salaries. 2. Holding Schools Accountable The government sets standards for what students need to learn each year and for each class. Each year’s program is set and needs to be followed by each school. Standardized exams are administered to selected grades annually; however, results are not disaggregated. Policy dictates that schools be inspected and the term of inspection depends on the results of previous inspections. 3. Empowering All Parents, Students, and Communities Parents are provided with regular information on standardized exams and the results of inspections. However, neither students nor parents are surveyed as part of the inspection process. 4. Promoting Diversity of Supply Private independent schools set fees subject to government review. The government allows all of the following provider types to operate a school: community, not for profit, faith based, and for profit. Certification standards on land, facilities, and assets prevent new providers from entering the market. Policy Goals for Government-Funded Private Schools Status 1. Encouraging Innovation by Providers Teacher standards are set by the central government, which also has authority over class sizes and delivery of the curriculum. Schools have autonomy over appointment, deployment, and dismissal of teachers. In terms of management of school operating budgets, each school has authority over teacher salaries and other operating costs, apart from teachers who have been enlisted to receive Monthly Pay Orders (MPOs) and who receive salaries from the government. 2. Holding Schools Accountable The government sets standards for what students need to learn each year and for each class. Each year’s program is set and needs to be followed by each school. Standardized exams are administered annually to selected grades. Policy dictates that schools be inspected and the term of inspection depends on the results of previous inspections. The government also requires schools to report on the use of public funds. 3. Empowering All Parents, Students, and Communities Only ad-hoc information is provided to parents on standardized exams and inspections, and neither students nor parents are surveyed as part of the inspection process. Schools are not allowed to select students and are required to conduct a lottery if a school is over-subscribed. 4. Promoting Diversity of Supply The government allows all of the following provider types to operate a school: community, not for profit, faith based, and for profit. Certification standards on land, facilities, and assets prevent new providers from entering the market. Academic operating budgets are not equivalent to per-student amounts in public schools. BANGLADESH ǀ ENGAGING THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN EDUCATION SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2016 Table of Contents Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 1 Overview of SABER-Engaging the Private Sector ....................................................................................................................................... 2 Benchmarking Education Policies: The SABER-EPS Methodology ............................................................................................................. 4 Education in Bangladesh ............................................................................................................................................................................ 5 Performance of the Education System ...................................................................................................................................................... 6 Education Providers in Bangladesh ............................................................................................................................................................ 9 Secondary Education Providers ............................................................................................................................................................... 11 Private Education in Bangladesh—Administration and Performance ..................................................................................................... 12 Benchmarking Bangladesh’s Private School Policies ............................................................................................................................... 16 From Analysis to Action: Policy Options for Bangladesh ......................................................................................................................... 26 Policy Option 1: Improve information at the school level ................................................................................................................. 26 Policy Option 2: Build on incentives for the poorest students to attend private schools ................................................................ 27 Acknowledgements.................................................................................................................................................................................. 31 References ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 31 2 BANGLADESH ǀ ENGAGING THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN EDUCATION SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2016 Introduction In recent years, private sector engagement in education draws on the Engaging the Private Sector (EPS) —which includes a vibrant mix of non-profit, for-profit Framework, a product of the World Bank’s Systems and faith-based organizations—has grown significantly Approach for Better Education Results (SABER). SABER around the world. In the last two decades, the collects and analyzes policy data on education systems percentage of students in low-income countries around the world, using evidence-based frameworks to attending private primary schools doubled, from 11 highlight the policies and institutions that matter most percent to 22 percent (figure 1). This growth in private for promoting learning for all children and youth. provision is closely connected to the boom in access that SABER-EPS research in Bangladesh has found that access has taken place in low-income countries over the same to primary education is nearly universal and that two decades: primary net enrolment increased from 55 retention rates of students to the last grade of primary percent to 80 percent between 1990 and 2010. school have increased significantly. However, in 2012, As countries redouble their efforts to achieve learning only 48 percent of children enrolled in secondary school. for all at the primary and secondary levels, the private At both the primary and secondary levels, quality and sector can be a resource for adding capacity to the equity are challenges. The private sector plays a education system. By partnering with private entities, significant role in education at both levels. At the primary the state can provide access to more students, level, the range of school options is broad, with 24 particularly poor students who are not always able to different types of institutions. The private sector access existing education services (Pal and Kingdon 2010; accounts for nearly a quarter of enrolments at this level. Patrinos, Barrera-Osorio, and Guáqueta 2009; Hossain The secondary subsector is comprised almost entirely of 2007). Additionally, evidence shows that governments private institutions and accounts for nearly 98 percent of have been successful at improving education quality and enrolments. Based on a review of existing policies, student cognitive outcomes in many countries through SABER-EPS offers the following recommendations for effective engagement with private education providers Bangladesh to enhance private sector engagement in (Barrera-Osorio and Raju 2010; French and Kingdon education to meet the challenges of access, quality, and 2010; Barrera-Osorio 2006). equity: 1) Improve information at the school level. Figure 1. Private enrolment as a percentage of total primary enrolments, by country income level 2) Build on incentives for the poorest to attend private schools. Low-income countries 3) Increase outcome-based accountability of private schools. 4) Ensure the regulatory environment maintains standards of quality for providers entering both the primary and secondary school market. Middle-income countries The rest of the report provides an overview of SABER- EPS, followed by a description of the basic education High-income countries system in Bangladesh with a focus on the private sector and government policies related to the private provision of education. The report then benchmarks Bangladesh’s policy environment utilizing the SABER-EPS Framework Source: Baum et al (2014). and offers policy options to enhance access and learning This report presents an analysis of how effectively the for all children in primary and secondary school. current policies in Bangladesh engage the private sector in basic (primary and secondary) education. The analysis 1 BANGLADESH ǀ ENGAGING THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN EDUCATION SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2016 Overview of SABER-Engaging the improve the accountability of all providers in an education system and, subsequently, have a positive Private Sector impact on educational outcomes. In many countries, the extent and activity of the private Box 1. Key private sector engagement policy goals sector in education is largely undocumented and 1. Encouraging innovation by providers. Local decision unknown. SABER-EPS is working to help change that. making and fiscal decentralization can have positive SABER-EPS assesses how well a country’s policies are effects on school and student outcomes. Most high- oriented toward ensuring that the services of non-state achieving countries allow schools autonomy in providers promote learning for all children and youth. managing resources (including personnel) and educational content. Local school autonomy can improve the ability of disadvantaged populations to The aim of SABER-EPS is not to advocate private determine how local schools operate. schooling. The intention is to outline the most effective 2. Holding schools accountable. If schools are given evidence-based policies specific to each country’s autonomy over decision making, they must be held current approach toward non-state provision of accountable for learning outcomes. Increases in education. SABER-EPS assesses the extent to which autonomy should be accompanied by standards and policies facilitate quality, access, and equity of private interventions that increase access and improve quality. education services. Data generated by SABER-EPS can The state must hold all providers accountable to the further the policy dialogue and support governments in same high standard. engaging private providers to improve education results. 3. Empowering all parents, students, and communities. When parents and students have access to information Four policy goals for engaging the private on relative school quality, they can have the power to sector hold schools accountable and the voice to lobby SABER-EPS collects data on four key policy areas that governments for better-quality services. For empowerment to work equitably, options for parents international evidence has found effective for and students should not depend on wealth or student strengthening accountability mechanisms among ability. citizens, policymakers, and providers (box 1). These policy goals were identified through a review of rigorous 4. Promoting diversity of supply. By facilitating market research and analysis of top-performing and rapidly entry for a diverse set of providers, governments can increase responsibility for results, as providers become improving education systems. directly accountable to citizens as well as to the state. The four policy goals enable a government to increase innovation and strengthen accountability among the critical actors in an education system (figure 2). Empowering parents, students, and communities enhances the ability of parents to express their voice and hold policymakers accountable for results. Additionally, when parents are empowered, in most contexts, they can have greater influence over provider behaviors. Increasing school accountability strengthens the quality- and equity-assurance mechanisms between the state and education providers. Encouraging innovation and promoting diversity of supply can allow providers to respond to local needs. Increasing school-level autonomy in critical decisions improves the services provided to students. Allowing a diverse set of providers to enter the market can increase client power and enable citizens to choose from a wider range of models. By developing these policy goals, a government can 2 BANGLADESH ǀ ENGAGING THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN EDUCATION SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2016 Figure 2. Relationships of accountability for successful government or non-government providers or service delivery both, depending on the system. SABER-EPS analyzes laws and regulations to: (1) identify the types of private engagement that are legally established in each country and (2) assess each education system’s progress in achieving the four policy goals. The aim of the SABER-EPS Framework is to provide policy guidance to help governments establish strong incentives and relationships of accountability among citizens, governments, and private education providers, with the goal of improving education results. Source: Adapted from the World Bank (2003). SABER-EPS recognizes that the four policy goals outlined in box 1 can assist governments in raising accountability for the education services provided in their countries. The tool allows governments to systematically evaluate their policies and implement practices that are effective across multiple country contexts. Four types of private provision of education Across the world, governments can implement numerous strategies to improve educational outcomes by supporting non-state education provision. SABER-EPS benchmarks key policy goals across the four most common models of private service delivery: 1. Independent private schools: schools that are owned and operated by non-government providers and are financed privately, typically through fees. 2. Government-funded private schools: schools that are owned and operated by non- government providers, but receive government funding. 3. Privately managed schools: schools that are owned and financed by the government, but are operated by non-government providers. 4. Voucher schools: schools that students choose to attend with government-provided funding; these schools can be operated by the 3 BANGLADESH ǀ ENGAGING THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN EDUCATION SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2016 Benchmarking Education Policies: The The overall score for each policy goal is computed by aggregating the scores for each of its constituent SABER-EPS Methodology indicators. For example, a hypothetical country receives the following indicator scores for one of its policy goals: The World Bank has developed a set of standardized Indicator A = 2 points questionnaires and rubrics for collecting and evaluating data on the four policy goals for each type of private Indicator B = 3 points school engagement established in a given country. Indicator C = 4 points Indicator D = 4 points The policy goals are benchmarked separately for each type of private engagement. A point of emphasis here is The hypothetical country’s overall score for this policy that these tools only assess official and established goal would be: (2+3+4+4)/4 = 3.25. The overall score is policies governing private education provision. converted into a final development level for the policy Additional tools determine on-the-ground goal, based on the following scale: implementation of these policies. The SABER-EPS Latent: 1.00 – 1.50 information is compiled in a comparative database that interested stakeholders can access for detailed reports, Emerging: 1.51 – 2.50 background papers, methodology, and other resources; Established: 2.51 – 3.50 the database details how different education systems Advanced: 3.51 – 4.00 engage with the private sector. The ratings generated by the rubrics are not meant to For each indicator associated with the respective four be additive across policy goals. That is, they are not policy goals, the country receives a score between 1 and added together to create an overall rating for engaging 4 (figure 3), representing four levels of private sector the private sector. engagement: 1 (latent), 2 (emerging), 3 (established), or 4 (advanced). Use of the SABER-EPS tool Figure 3. SABER rubric benchmarking levels SABER-EPS is not intended to be used as a prescriptive policy tool, but rather, as a tool to generate an informed assessment of a country’s policies vis- à-vis current knowledge about effective approaches. The results of this benchmarking exercise serve as a good starting point to discuss potential policy options that could be considered, based on the nuances of the local context and national education system. Education systems are likely to be at different levels of development across indicators and policy goals. While intuition suggests it is probably better to be as developed in as many areas as possible, the evidence does not clearly show the need to be functioning at the advanced level for all policy Source: Baum et al. (2014). goals. National education priorities lay at the center of recommended policy options; countries may prioritize higher levels of development in areas that contribute most to their immediate goals. For more information on the global evidence underlying EPS and its policy goals, see the SABER framework paper, What Matters Most for Engaging the Private Sector in Education (Baum et al. 2014). 4 BANGLADESH ǀ ENGAGING THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN EDUCATION SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2016 Education in Bangladesh Chittagong, and Sylhet)—primary and secondary enrolment rates are low (World Bank 2013). This report will examine the current status of primary and secondary education in Bangladesh. This section A plethora of providers operate in Bangladesh and play a provides an overview of the education system, outlining crucial role in providing education services, ranging from its organization, structure, and key performance government-funded private schools to independent indicators. It then discusses the diverse education private schools. The provision of education at the providers in Bangladesh, differentiating between the primary level differs in many respects from provision at primary and secondary sub-sectors, as education the secondary level, with a much greater range of school provision at these two levels falls under the jurisdiction options available at the primary level and a far greater of different ministries and provision at the two levels proportion of private institutions at the secondary level. differ substantially. This is followed by a comparison of The list below outlines the main primary and secondary- the performance of private schools with that of public level providers in Bangladesh divided by sub-sector, schools. given how education provision varies vastly between the Bangladesh is a low-income country located in South two levels. While a majority of students attend public Asia. In the past decade, the country’s gross domestic schools at the primary level, almost all provision at the product (GDP) has grown at around 6 percent per year secondary level is private (though government funded). and human development advanced hand-in-hand with The primary sub-sector is marked by a diverse set of economic growth. In the same period, poverty dropped providers among government-funded and independent by nearly a third, coupled with increased life expectancy, private schools. While less data is available on secondary literacy, and per capita food intake. More than 15 million schools, there is also a considerable range of providers at Bangladeshis have moved out of poverty since 1992 this level. Enrolments in madrassas (Islamic religious (World Bank N.d.). However, Bangladesh is still facing schools that can be either government-funded or fully many challenges in becoming a middle-income country. private) are much higher at the secondary level than the Around 80 percent of Bangladesh’s population of nearly primary level. 150 million still live on less than US$ 2 a day. Chronic Bangladesh’s primary and secondary levels are organized malnutrition affects 56 percent of the poorest children. as follows: Bangladesh is among the most densely populated x Primary: 5 years beginning at age 6 countries in the world, with 964 people per square x Junior secondary: 3 years starting at age 11 kilometer. On nearly a yearly basis, over 40 percent of the country suffers from natural disasters (World Bank x Secondary: 2 years starting at age 14 N.d.). x Higher secondary (intermediate colleges): 2 years beginning at age 16 The education sector in Bangladesh has low internal efficiency. Although net enrolment at the primary level A parallel system of formal religious Islamic education is has been above 90 percent for a number of years and offered through madrassas. This stream falls into both persistence to the last grade of primary school has the government-funded and independent private increased significantly—from 67.2 percent in 2010 to groupings at the primary and secondary level. This 80.5 percent in 2013—only 48 percent of school-age system follows the same sequence as the formal system. children were enrolled in secondary school in 2012. In The madrassas provide additional religious instruction 2012, the overall adult literacy rate was 59 percent and the streams are (Bangladesh-MoPME 2003): (Bangladesh-DPE 2014b; World Bank N.d.). Over the past x ebtedayee (equivalent to primary): 5 years two decades, most government education programs x dakhil (equivalent to junior secondary): 5 years have focused on children in rural areas. As such, rural x alim (equivalent to higher secondary): 2 years. enrolment rates have increased tremendously. For other hard-to-reach populations, such as disabled children, refugees, and ethnic minorities—in particular, those in eastern divisions of the country (including Dhaka, 5 BANGLADESH ǀ ENGAGING THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN EDUCATION SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2016 Performance of the Education System Figure 5. Net enrolment rates at the primary and secondary levels, 2005 and 2010 Government expenditure on education has been stable 100 over the last decade, at 2.4 percent of GDP in 2000 and 90 2.1 percent of GDP in 2012 (Bangladesh-Ministry of 80 Finance 2014). This is low compared to countries with similar levels of income in the region: India spent roughly 70 3.1 percent of GDP on education each year for the last 60 Net enrolment decade; Nepal spent 3.2 percent in 2002 and 4.7 percent rate at the 50 primary level in 2009 (World Bank N.d.). 40 Government contributions to education have been 30 Net enrolment allocated fairly evenly between the primary and 20 rate at the secondary levels over the past decade, with some secondary level fluctuation (figure 4). Expenditures at the primary and 10 secondary levels represented 45 percent and 40 percent 0 of total education expenditures, respectively, in 2009. 2005 2010 Figure 4. Evolution of educational expenditure by Source: World Bank (N.d). subsector in 2000, 2004, and 2009 Bangladesh is a global leader in achieving gender parity 100% in access to schooling. In 2013, the female net enrolment Preprimary and 90% rate at the primary level was 98.4 percent, slightly above Tertiary 80% the male net enrolment rate of 96.2 percent (Bangladesh-DPE 2014b). At the secondary level, 70% enrolment rates are 48.3 percent and 43.8 percent for 60% females and males, respectively (figure 6). On average in Educational Bangladesh, girls receive 9.7 years of formal schooling, 50% expenditure in compared with 8.8 years for boys. secondary as % of 40% total educational 30% expenditure 20% Educational 10% expenditure in primary as % of 0% total educational 2000 2004 2009 expenditure Source: World Bank (2013); EdStats. Mirroring the stable public expenditure at the primary level, Bangladesh has had stable net enrolment at the primary level in recent years. Between 2005 and 2010, approximately 91 percent of primary-age children were enrolled in primary school. However, enrolment at the secondary level remains low, notwithstanding an increase from 42 percent to 46 percent between 2005 and 2010 (figure 5). 6 BANGLADESH ǀ ENGAGING THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN EDUCATION SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2016 Figure 6. Net enrolment rates by gender, 2013 Nevertheless, differences within the population remain 100 in terms of access to education and the possibility of Female Male completing education at the primary and secondary 90 levels. In 2005, 96.5 percent of children from the richest quintile completed primary education while only 65.1 80 percent of children from the poorest quintile did. 70 Similarly, while 49.5 percent of children from the richest quintile completed secondary education, only 33.7 60 percent of children from the poorest quintile did so 50 (figure 8). The most recently available figures (from 2007) suggest that the wealthiest one-fifth of 40 Bangladeshi children receive, on average, 3.5 more years of schooling than the poorest one-fifth (World Bank 30 Primary Secondary N.d.). In general, there are great disparities in access to education between rich and poor. These disparities can Source: Bangladesh-DPE (2014b); BANBEIS (2013). be seen in the average per capita income associated with levels of schooling. On a national level, the average per In recent years there has been a positive trend in primary capita income is US$ 36 and US$ 58 for male-headed and completion rates for both girls and boys in Bangladesh, female-headed households, respectively. 1 The average increasing from a combined 57 percent in 2008 to 74 drops to US$ 26 and US$ 32 for male- and female-headed percent in 2011. Female and male primary completion households in which the head of household completed rates have followed similar growth, reaching 80 percent no primary-level classes; US$ 31 and US$ 47 for those and 70 percent, respectively, in 2011 (figure 7). This that completed up to class 5; US$ 38 and US$ 48 for those trend shows the great leaps that Bangladesh has that completed up to class 9; and then jumps to US$ 58 achieved in primary education over the last decade. and US$ 85 for those that have completed a higher Figure 7. Evolution of primary completion rates secondary certificate (Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics between 2008 and 2011 2010). According to the Bangladesh Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES), the poorest 20 percent of 85 children are 12 percent more likely to be out of school 79.8 80 Primary compared with the wealthiest 20 percent (Bangladesh- completion DPE 2014b). 75 rate 74.5 70 69.5 Female 65 primary 60 completion rate 55 Male 50 primary completion 45 rate 2008 2009 2010 2011 Source: World Bank (N.d.). 1 US$ equivalents to Taka at the exchange rate prevailing in December 2010. 7 BANGLADESH ǀ ENGAGING THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN EDUCATION SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2016 Figure 8. Primary and secondary completion rates by income quintile, 2007 Quintile 1 Secondary Primary Quintile 2 Quintile 3 Quintile 4 Quintile 5 0 20 40 60 80 100 Source: World Bank (N.d.). In a regional comparison, Bangladesh rates poorly in terms of average years of schooling for each quintile (figure 9). However, in terms of the equity of schooling, Bangladesh comes only after Nepal: the difference in the average years of schooling between the poorest and wealthiest quintile is 3.2 years in Nepal, 3.4 years in Bangladesh, 3.8 years in India, and 4.2 years in Pakistan (figure 9). Figure 9. Average years of schooling (ages 15–19) by household wealth in Nepal, Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan, various years* 11.0 10.0 9.0 8.5 8.0 7.4 7.0 6.7 6.0 5.9 5.1 5.0 Quintile 1 2 3 4 Quintile 5 Nepal Bangladesh India Pakistan Source: World Bank (N.d.); EdStats. Note: *All data from Demographic and Household Surveys: Nepal (2011), Bangladesh (2007), India (2005), Pakistan (2006). 8 BANGLADESH ǀ ENGAGING THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN EDUCATION SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2016 Education Providers in Bangladesh attached Ebtedayee ROSC schools 3830 3.6 93,993 0.5 Primary education provision Shishu Kallyan Bangladesh has one of the largest primary education schools 112 0.1 11,030 0.06 systems in the world, comprised of nearly 107,000 Total schools (Bangladesh-DPE 2014). As noted earlier, there government- are 24 types of formal and non-formal primary education funded private 12,148 11.3 1,294,581 6.7 institutions in Bangladesh, of which 13 are the most common (table 1). These schools fall under two streams Other schools 3,151 2.9 44,618 0.2 of education provision: general and madrassa (BANBEIS 2013). Total primary schools 106,859 19,584,972 Among all children attending school at the primary level Source: BANBEIS (2013). nationwide in Bangladesh in 2013, 76 percent were Public providers enrolled in public schools, which include government Public providers are schools that are owned, financed, primary schools (GPS), newly nationalized primary and operated by the government. schools (NNPS), and experimental schools (table 1). Nearly 24 percent of children at the primary level were enrolled in private institutions (independent and Government primary schools (GPS). These schools are government funded) in 2013. owned, operated, and funded by the government. They represent 53.9 percent of student enrolment at the primary level (table 1). Table 1. Primary education providers in Bangladesh No. of Share No. of Share School type schools (%) students (%) Newly nationalized primary schools (NNPS). Formerly Public schools known as registered non-government primary schools GPS 37,700 35.3 10,564,331 53.9 (RNGPS), these schools represent 22.1 percent of NNPS/RNGPS 22,632 21.2 4,325,894 22.1 student enrolment at the primary level. The government Experimental 56 0.05 11,499 0.06 recognizes and oversees registration at NNPS, but they Total public 60,388 56.5 14,901,724 76.1 were originally privately established. The government Independent private schools began to nationalize all RNGPS in January 2013 Kindergartens 14,100 13.2 1,798,500 9.2 (TazaKhobor 2013) with the intended goal of achieving NRNGPS 2,799 2.6 443,724 2.3 education for all through increased infrastructure BRAC schools 9,683 9.1 214,161 1.1 (Sommers 2011). Teachers at NNPS are now government NGO schools employees and receive the same salary and benefits as (Class 1–5) 2,101 2.0 212,212 1.1 GPS teachers. The transition via nationalization is High school- occurring in three phases; once the process is complete, attached all NNPS will be classified as GPS by the Ministry of primary Primary and Mass Education (MoPME). At present, the schools 1,245 1.2 467,926 2.4 Community main differences between these schools and GPS relate schools 1,244 1.2 207,526 1.1 to: Total x Funding: The government provides 90 percent of independent the funding for salaries and additional funds for private 31,172 29.2 3,344,049 17.2 infrastructure and other fixed costs. It is, Government-funded private schools however, unclear how schools finance the Ebtedayee remaining 10 percent of their funding, if at all. madrassas 2,623 2.5 344,120 1.8 High x Administration: NNPS have School Management madrassa- 5,583 5.2 845,438 4.3 Committees (SMC), which include parents and 9 BANGLADESH ǀ ENGAGING THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN EDUCATION SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2016 local elites that make decisions on teacher NGO providers. Many non-governmental organizations selection, pay, and leave. The government still (NGOs) operate primary schools in Bangladesh and play has final oversight over administrative decisions, an important role in providing education. BRAC schools, however. for example, have the largest enrolment of any NGO, but there are several other NGO education providers at the Experimental Schools. These schools are attached to primary level. Some of these organizations are: Center Primary Teachers’ Training Institutes (PTTIs). These for Mass Education in Science (CMES), Dhaka Ahsania schools are a government initiative to ensure quality Mission (DAM), Gonoshahajjo Sangstha (GSS), education for trained and motivated teachers. They PROSHIKA, Friends in Village Development (FIVDB), Save accordingly provide opportunities for teacher trainees to the Children-USA, and the Underprivileged Children’s practice what they learn (USAID 2002). The share of Education Programs (UCEP) (World Bank 2013). While experimental schools among all schools and their share most public and private schools are overseen either by of total enrolment is small: 0.05 percent and 0.06 the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education (MoPME) or percent, respectively. the Ministry of Education (MoE), as will be discussed in another section, NGO schools are under the oversight of the NGO Affairs Bureau of the government. Independent private schools NGO School Class 1–5 Independent private schools are schools that are owned These schools are managed by NGOs (rather than and operated by non-government providers. They are individuals) and are funded either by the NGOs financed privately, typically through fees. In Bangladesh, themselves or international donors through the the following types of primary providers are classified as NGOs. They provide formal education to 1.1 percent independent private schools under SABER-Engaging the of students at the primary level. Other NGO schools Private Sector: provide non-formal education, including BRAC and others. Kindergartens. Kindergartens are owned and operated by non-government providers and are financed privately, BRAC typically through fees. These schools are the most widely BRAC has been operating schools in Bangladesh since found private independent provider and represent 6.7 1985 and has become the largest non-governmental percent of student enrolments at the primary level, organization and the largest secular non-government offering instruction through grade 5. These schools do educational system in the world (Rosenberg 2013). not fall under the jurisdiction of the Directorate of BRAC primary schools are aimed at educating out-of- Primary Education (DPE) (Bangladesh-MoPME 2013). school children, including students who have dropped out. Schools operate under a one-room model, with a Non-registered non-government primary schools single cohort of students of many ages progressing (NRNGPS). These schools are owned and operated by through all years of primary school together under a non-government providers and privately financed single teacher. BRAC enrolments represent 1.1 privately. They represent 1.2 percent of student percent of students at the primary level and 9.1 enrolment at the primary level in Bangladesh. Though percent of all primary school facilities, signifying these schools are non-registered, they fall under the smaller class sizes. jurisdiction of the DPE (Bangladesh-MoPME 2013). Community schools. These schools are established and High school attached primary schools. These schools are operated by a local community and do not receive any attached to private secondary schools and offer primary funding from the central government. They represent 2.8 education financed through student fees. They represent percent of student enrolment at the primary level. 2.4 percent of student enrolment at the primary level. 10 BANGLADESH ǀ ENGAGING THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN EDUCATION SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2016 Qaumi ebtedayee madrassas. Qaumi madrassas are not education to over 790,000 out-of-school children. regulated by the government and are predominantly Students, more than half of whom are girls, come from private charitable schools that implement a primarily the 90 poorest upazilas in the country. The project is religious curriculum (Bangladesh Enterprise Institute supported by funds and technical assistance from the 2011). Enrolment in Qaumi madrassas at the primary International Development Association (IDA) (World level represents 1.8 percent of students. Bank 2013). Government-funded private schools Shishu Kallyan Trust Primary Schools. The Shishu Kallyan Trust (Child Welfare Trust) primary schools were set up to enable working children in urban areas to participate Government-funded private schools are schools that are in the school system. Financed through the ROSC Project, owned and operated by non-government providers, but grants and educational allowances provided to Shishu funded by the government. In Bangladesh, the following Kallyan Trust schools help working children enroll in the types of schools are classified as government-funded schools. The allowances are intended to cover direct and private schools under SABER-Engaging the Private indirect costs of schooling, as well as to partially Sector: compensate for the opportunity cost of attending school (IFPRI 2006). Aliya ebtedayee madrassas. As outlined above, there are two types of madrassas in Bangladesh. Aliya madrassas Secondary Education Providers are known as mainstream madrassas and are supported financially by the state with a modified curriculum that There are three streams of secondary education in includes general education courses. The Bangladesh Bangladesh: general, technical-vocational, and madrassa Annual Primary School Census (APSC) does not (BANBEIS 2013). differentiate between whether madrassas at the primary level are Qaumi or Aliya; thus for the purposes of reporting, all madrassa primary schools have been The secondary education subsector in Bangladesh is included under government-funded private schools in dominated by non-state actors—98.8 percent of all table 1. This classification choice reflect a recent study on secondary schools are owned and managed by non-state the incidence of different types of madrassas that found organizations (BANBEIS 2013). As shown in table 2; these the share of total primary enrolment at Aliya madrassas organizations include both general and madrassa to be 8.4 percent, and at Qaumi madrassas, 1.9 percent streams and both government-funded and independent (Asadullah 2009). The latter figure is higher than that private schools. There is limited data on the division indicated by the APSC, indicating that a much larger between private independent and government-funded share of madrassas at the primary level are funded by the private schools, including the number of Qaumi and Aliya government and not independent, and that they provide madrassas, respectively. As mentioned in the preceding a regulated secular education. section on primary schools, a 2009 World Bank study found that 18.5 percent of secondary enrolments were at Aliya madrassas (funded by the government), 2.2 Reaching-Out-of-School Children (ROSC) Project. The percent were at Qaumi madrassas (independently ROSC Project reintegrates out-of-school children into funded), and 1.4 percent at other madrassas. These education through learning centers (i.e, non-formal precise proportions may not hold for the data shown in schools), called Ananda Schools (Schools of Joy), which table 2, but it can be surmised that the vast majority of provide education stipends to underprivileged children private secondary school institutions receive to lessen the financial burden on their families, as well as government funding. distribute free books, stationery, and school uniforms. Ananda Schools are established in upazilas (subdistricts) with high rates of poverty and low enrolment and completion rates. From its inception in 2004, the ROSC Project has provided “second-chance” primary 11 BANGLADESH ǀ ENGAGING THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN EDUCATION SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2016 Table 2. Secondary education providers in Bangladesh receive accreditation by the government, but are not No. of Share No. of Share under its jurisdiction. School type schools (%) students (%) Public schools Government Government-funded private schools secondary schools 317 1.2 246,554 2.6 Aliya Dakhil and Alim madrassas. As at the primary level, Total public 317 1.2 246,554 2.6 Aliya madrassas are government funded and impart Private schools secular as well as religious instruction to secondary Private students. secondary schools (junior, Other government-funded private schools. As noted secondary, earlier, nearly all schools at the secondary level are higher government-funded private institutions. While little secondary) 18,455 68.8 7,637,829 79.8 disaggregated data is available on these types of schools, Dakhil and Alim they include residential schools, military schools, public madrassas 8,063 30.0 1,685,984 17.6 enterprise/corporation-sponsored autonomous schools Total private 26,518 98.8 9,329,813 97.5 (which are highly subsidized by the government), and technical/vocational schools. All of these schools receive Total monthly pay orders from the government, which largely secondary cover teacher salaries. Technical/vocational schools are schools 26,835 9,570,367 non-formal institutions under the jurisdiction of the Source: Adapted from BANBEIS (2013). Ministry of Education (MoE) and are highly subsidized by the government, with funding also provided by donors Public providers such as the World Bank and NGOs. Government Secondary Schools. These schools are owned, operated, and funded by the government. They Private Education in Bangladesh— represent 2.6 percent of student enrolment at the Administration and Performance secondary level (table 2). Government secondary schools are known as model schools and are located primarily in As conveyed in the preceding section, a diverse range of district headquarters, typically in peri-urban areas. education providers operate at both the primary and Entrance exams are required for admittance and there is secondary levels in Bangladesh. This section will discuss a high level of competition for seats. the governance of the non-state sector in education and its performance at the primary and secondary levels. Independent private providers As mentioned earlier, non-state primary and secondary NGO and for-profit private providers. Limited data is schools in Bangladesh fall into two categories of the available on independent private providers in SABER-Engaging the Private Sector Framework, namely, Bangladesh; however, a small percentage of elite private independent private schools and government-funded schools and low-cost private schools are run by NGOs, private schools. both of which are largely urban phenomena. x Independent private schools are owned and operated independent of government intervention and receive no financial support Qaumi Dakhil and Alim madrassas. As at the primary from the state. Registered private schools are (ebtedayee) level, Qaumi madrassas at the secondary bound to follow government regulations level are not regulated by the government. They may regarding the curriculum, fees, and minimum 12 BANGLADESH ǀ ENGAGING THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN EDUCATION SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2016 teacher qualifications. Non-registered schools 11 are not bound by these regulations. x Government-funded private schools have 10 certain autonomy from government, but receive 9 part of their funding from it. These schools are generally operated by NGOs or are madrassas. 8 7 In terms of administrative organization, Bangladesh has two ministries responsible for approving, monitoring, 6 regulating, and otherwise engaging with the country’s 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 recognized non-state school providers. Private enrolment in Primary x The Ministry of Primary and Mass Education Private enrolment in Secondary (MoPME) formulates policies regarding primary Source: World Bank (N.d.). education and oversees government-recognized schools for this subsector. The Directorate of According to a study that reviewed a household survey Primary Education (DPE) is responsible for in four slums of Dhaka, there is a general perception program implementation. among households that the private school system is of x The Ministry of Education (MoE) oversees better quality that the public school system (Cameron government-recognized schools at the 2011). The Bangladesh National Student Assessment secondary level. The Madrassa Education Board (NSA) 2013 results from classes 3 and 5 (primary school) within the MoE oversees Aliya madrassas at both show that overall, GPS students performed marginally the primary and secondary levels. The MoE is better than students at other types of schools. This also responsible for technical and vocational assessment, however, did not capture all types of education and training, as well as higher schools; iluded were GPS, RNGPS, high school-attached education. The Directorate of Secondary and primary schools, kindergartens, ebtedayee madrassas, Higher Education is responsible for management BRAC Centers, and ROSC. Not included were NRNGPS, and administration of education at these levels. experimental schools, NGO schools (other than BRAC), community schools, and Shishu Kallyan schools. Enrolment and performance When disaggregated by subject, kindergarten students Clearly, the private sector plays a pivotal part in received the highest scores in Bangla in both grades 3 education provision in Bangladesh at both the primary and 5, followed by high school-attached primary schools and secondary levels. The number of enrolments in in grade 3, and by GPS in grade 5. BRAC students received private primary schools has increased by nearly 1 million the lowest scores in Bangla in grade 3, while madrassa in the last decade, from 6,755,700 pupils in 2005 to students received the lowest scores in grade 5. In 7,735,078 pupils in 2011 (figure 10). To reiterate, the mathematics, kindergarten students scored the highest share of private enrolment at the primary level is about once again in grade 3, while BRAC students scored the 28 percent (table 1) and 98 percent at the secondary lowest. In grade 5, GPS students received the highest level (table 2). The number of primary schools that are scores, with BRAC students again receiving the lowest funded, owned, and operated privately (including scores (table 3). kindergartens and high school-attached primary schools) has increased from 3,567 in 2007 (DFID and CfBT 2013) to 15,345 in 2013 (Bangladesh-DPE, 2014a). Figure 10. Total enrolment in private primary and secondary schools (millions) 13 BANGLADESH ǀ ENGAGING THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN EDUCATION SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2016 Table 3. Primary student achievement (mean NSA 50 percent of the households chose public or NGO scores) by school type schools because they were the most affordable Grade 3 Grade 5 Grade 3 Grade 5 (Cameron 2011). The survey found that the average Bangla Bangla Math Math annual expenditure (including official and unofficial fees, BRAC Centers 98.7 112.4 97.5 110.2 transport, and lunch) for families sending children to GPS 104.3 116.3 104.1 117.2 government schools was US$ 52, to an NGO school, only High school- 105.2 114.1 103.4 112.8 US$ 24.2 The average annual cost for sending a child to attached any type of school was US$ 61 for households in primary Bangladesh (Table 5). These financial costs have a Kindergartens 107.1 118.2 105.0 116.8 substantial impact on the school choice opportunities of Madrassas 103.5 110.4 104.2 112.7 RNGPS 103.2 113.1 102.3 113.9 households. Considering that around 80 percent of the ROSC 105.5 - 104.6 - population of Bangladesh lives on less than US$ 2 a day, Total 104.2 115.2 103.7 115.8 education still poses a great financial burden, even if Source: Adapted from Bangladesh-DPE (2014). children attend public schools. At the secondary level, schools that are part of the Table 5. Total annual school fees, by provider Secondary Education Quality and Access Enhancement Total annual fees Project (SEQAEP) are assessed in 125 out of a total of 488 School type Tk US$* upazilas (sub-districts) countrywide. Termed the LASI GPS (government) 3,577 52 (Learning Assessment for SEQAEP Institutions), the RNGPS (government) 6,033 88 evaluation is conducted in grades 6 and 8 in Bangla, English, and mathematics. Results are disaggregated by NGO 1,627 24 general education schools and madrassa education For-profit kindergarten 11,117 161 schools. Overall, LASI 2013 results show that general Private secondary 12,255 178 education school students achieved higher mean scores Madrassa 6,608 96 in all subjects in both grades 6 and 8. LASI is limited to Other 11,735 170 SEQAEP schools, which are targeted to impoverished Average 4,177 61 populations, and data is not further disaggregated by school type within the two streams of general education Source: Cameron (2011) Note: *At the exchange rate prevailing in December 2008. and madrassas. Non-state providers manage their budgets more Table 4. Secondary student achievement (mean LASI efficiently than do public providers and can dedicate scores), by education stream Grade Grade Grade Grade Grade Grade their resources to different aspects of education. At the 6 8 6 8 6 8 primary level in urban areas, operating costs of private Bangla Bangla English English Math Math and NGO schools in Bangladesh are about half of that of Gen ed 248.8 286.6 275.2 297.1 284.6 301.0 public schools: US$ 7,700 (Tk 600,000) for private schools Madra- 242.8 267.7 266.3 281.4 281.5 291.4 ssa ed versus US$ 14,160 (Tk 1.1 million) for public schools Total 247.5 282.5 273.2 293.7 284.0 298.9 (DFID and CfBT 2013). Furthermore, at the primary level, Source: Adapted from ACER (2014). staff salaries represent 95 percent of operating costs in public schools compared to 73 percent in government- As previously discussed, gaps in access to education funded private schools and 62 percent in independent remain among wealth quintiles, with the cost of private schools (figure 11). That teacher salaries education having an impact on the schooling decisions of represent so much of the operating budget of public households in Bangladesh. The household survey of the schools highlights the typically higher salaries paid in the four slums in Dhaka, for instance, highlighted that over public system. 2 US$ equivalents to Taka at the exchange rate prevailing in December 2008. 14 BANGLADESH ǀ ENGAGING THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN EDUCATION SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2016 Figure 11. Composition of operating costs by type of (urban) primary school Public Salary Misc Stationery Rent 95% Utilities Government- Independent Funded Private 73% 62% Source: Adapted from DFID and CfBT (2013). 15 BANGLADESH ǀ ENGAGING THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN EDUCATION SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2016 Benchmarking Bangladesh’s Private x Rules and Regulations under the Education Ministry for Establishing, Starting and Approving School Policies Private Schools, Colleges and Madrassas This section presents the SABER-EPS results for two types (23/4/97). of private schools available at both the primary and secondary level: independent private schools and Goal 1: Encouraging innovation by providers government-funded private schools. (This study The highly particular and contextualized nature of considers selected private schools that receive monthly education delivery necessitates decision making at the pay orders (MPOs) government-funded private schools.) school level. In order to be aware of and adapt to The section then discusses the benchmarking results by changing student needs, school leaders require authority comparing them to established recommended practices over the most critical managerial decisions. determined by the SABER-Engaging the Private Sector Framework. For more information on the global Methodologically rigorous studies assessing the impact evidence underlying these policy goals, see the SABER of local school autonomy on student learning outcomes framework paper, What Matters Most for Engaging the generally find a positive relationship (Hanushek and Private Sector in Education (Baum et al. 2014). A rubric Woessmann 2013; Bruns, Filmer, and Patrinos 2011). A that explains the criteria for the scoring categories for few studies find evidence that local autonomy for school each indicator is included in the annex 1 to this report. leaders is associated with increased student achievement, as well as reduced student repetition and failure rates (King and Özler 2005; Jimenez and Sawada Recognizing the varying engagement of the private 2003; Gertler, Patrinos, and Rubio-Codina 2012). sector in primary and secondary education, this section provides an overall review of the policies in place that govern the private provision of education at both levels, Box 2. International best practice – encouraging noting contextual differences where applicable. All innovation by providers benchmarking scores reflect the education sector as a The following decisions/processes are made at the school whole. As noted in the introduction, this benchmarking level: analysis focuses on official, established laws, regulations, x Establishment of teacher qualification standards and policies governing education provision. There is x Appointment and deployment of teachers often a difference between official policy “on the books” x Teacher salary levels and implementation “on the ground.” The following x Teacher dismissals analysis focuses on official policy as a starting point x The way in which the curriculum is delivered considering potential reform and, in a few cases, notes x Class-size decisions differences between policy and implementation. x Management of the operating budgets Development level The main policies, laws, and official documentation used Independent private schools: to benchmark the regulatory environment in Bangladesh include the following: Government-funded private schools: x Recognized Non-Government Secondary School Teachers (Board of Intermediate and Secondary In Bangladesh, education policies allow for a relatively Education, Dhaka) Terms and Conditions of high degree of school-level autonomy in independent Service Regulations 1979. private and government-funded private schools. Based x Registration of Private Schools Ordinance, 1962. on Bangladesh’s current policies, laws, and other official x School-1, Section S.R.O. No. 263-Law/2011, documentation, an overall score of established is Section 4 (15, 16 (1)). Published August 18, 2011, assigned to both types of schools, as current policies in the Bangladesh Gazette by the Ministry of reflect systematic good practice. Primary and Mass Education. In Bangladesh, teacher standards in independent private schools vary by provider. These standards also differ 16 BANGLADESH ǀ ENGAGING THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN EDUCATION SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2016 from those for government-funded private schools, exceeds 30:1, a new section for the class must be opened which are set by the central government. The exception with the authorization from the registration authority. to this rule is non-profit schools such as those of BRAC Current policies provide no indication as to the maximum schools, which employ local women who receive 12 days number of students permitted in non-state secondary of training before they begin teaching. For government- school classrooms. funded private schools at the secondary level, the In terms of how the curriculum is delivered, the minimum qualification requirements are set as follows Registration of Private Schools Ordinance of 1962, by the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education: Section 2e–2f highlights that all types of private schools x Headmaster: Second-class honors master's have the freedom to choose a curriculum; however, this degree with B. Ed. or its equivalent degree from curriculum must be approved by local authorities. a recognized university and 10 years’ In government-funded private schools, the government experience in teaching or educational has the responsibility to provide the basic salary of administration. selected teachers in these schools. Only those teachers x Assistant Headmaster: Second-class honors who have been enlisted to receive MPOs receive salaries bachelor degree with B. Ed. or its equivalent from the government. The rest receive salaries from the degree from a recognized university and 8 school’s governing body, which also covers other school years’ experience in teaching or educational expenditures. administration. Based on benchmarking results for goal 1, encouraging x Senior Teacher: Bachelor degree with B. Ed. or innovation by providers, the suggested policy options its equivalent degree from a recognized for Bangladesh include: university or a Kamil degree from a recognized madrassa. x Consider giving schools increased authority to adapt class sizes and tailor delivery of the x Assistant Teacher: Bachelor degree from a curriculum to support enhanced student learning recognized university or a Fazil degree from a outcomes, provided such adaptability is in line with recognized madrassa. accountability measures. x Junior teacher: High school or secondary school certificate from a recognized Board, with training from an institute recognized by the Board, or an Alim certificate from a recognized madrassa. In some areas, the government has delegated its control over education provision. According to Article 3-1 of the Bangladesh Gazette, Part VI, dated the 6th December 1979, both private independent and government-funded private schools retain the principal authority to appoint and deploy teachers, as well as to affect their eventual dismissal. In terms of teacher salary levels, the Registration of Private Schools Ordinance, 1962; Section 4 (2b) states that the school has authority in this matter in both independent private and government-funded private schools. According to Articles 15 and 16 of the School-1, Section S.R.O. No-263 from the Law of 2011, the government determines maximum class size and every non- government primary school has to have an average student-teacher ratio of 30:1. If the student-teacher ratio 17 BANGLADESH ǀ ENGAGING THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN EDUCATION SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2016 Table 6. Goal 1: Encouraging innovation by providers Woessmann et al. 2007; Hanushek and Raymond 2005). For non-state providers, when government funding is A. Common Policies: Independent Private Schools and tied to accountability standards, schools are incentivized Government-Funded Private Schools to perform more efficiently (Barrera-Osorio and Raju Item Score Justification 2010; Patrinos 2002). A strong accountability system Who has legal authority Central government has requires that the government, parents, and educational to set teacher standards professionals work together to raise outcomes. The Latent legal authority to set (e.g., teaching €{{{ minimum standards for government must play a role in ensuring that superior certification, years of teachers. education quality is delivered by schools. SABER-EPS experience, etc.)? The school (school assesses multiple policy indicators to determine non- principal, school council, state provider accountability. A list of the key indicators Who has legal authority Advanced parent association, etc.) is provided in box 3. to appoint and deploy has the legal authority teachers? €€€€ to appoint teachers without review by Box 3. International best practice – holding schools central authorities. accountable The school has the legal x The central government sets standards regarding Who has legal authority authority to determine Advanced what students need to learn, including deadlines to determine teacher teacher salary levels salary levels? €€€€ without review by for meeting these standards. central authorities. x Students are required to take standardized The school has the legal examinations; exam results are disaggregated by Who has legal authority Advanced authority to dismiss school, socioeconomic status, gender, etc. to dismiss teachers? €€€€ teachers without review x Schools are required to report on the use of public by central authorities. funds as a condition of continued funding. Central government has Who has legal authority x The central government or an external agency Latent the legal authority to to determine maximum performs school inspections, as determined by €{{{ establish class size. class size? school need. Who has legal authority x Schools produce school improvement plans. The school can to determine how Emerging x School performance is tied to sanctions and/or determine how the curriculum is delivered rewards. €€{{ curriculum is delivered (e.g., pedagogy, number with final review from of hours, learning central authorities. materials)? Development level B. Policies for Government-Funded Private Schools Private independent schools: Item Score Justification Only those teachers Government-funded private schools: who have been enlisted to receive MPOs Who has legal authority receive salaries from In terms of establishing school accountability, over the management Established the government. The Bangladesh’s policies are established for both of school operating €€€{ rest receive salaries independent private and government-funded private budget? from the school’s schools. However, accountability for both types of governing body, which also covers pther schools could be strengthened. school expenditures. The government does set standards for what students need to learn each year and for each class in Bangladesh. Private schools have the freedom to set standards Goal 2: Holding schools accountable initially, but these standards then need to be approved On average, students perform better in schools with by the government. The government also approves the higher levels of accountability to the state international curriculum set by institutions such as (Abdulkadiroglu et al. 2011; Carnoy and Loeb 2002; Edexcel, Cambridge, and the International Baccalaureate 18 BANGLADESH ǀ ENGAGING THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN EDUCATION SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2016 Organization. Furthermore, standardized examinations Table 7. Goal 2: Holding schools accountable are administered at the end of each year in grades 5, 8, 10, and 12 in both private independent and government- A. Common Policies: Independent Private Schools and funded private schools to validate student achievement. Government-Funded Private Schools Item Score Justification The Rules and Regulations under the Education Ministry for Establishing, Starting and Approving Private Schools, Government does set Does government set standards for what Colleges and Madrassas (23/4/97), Section 4, Articles 2, standards on what Emerging students need to 5, and 7, describe the process for inspections and students need to €€{{ learn, but there is no supervision of independent private and government- learn and by when? indication of by when funded private schools. The government requires both or how well. types of schools to undergo inspections, with the What is the current Standardized exams frequency of inspection dependent on results of the policy on Established are administered standardized exams? annually. previous round. The law stipulates that schools will be €€€{ visited within four months of their opening in order to Government requires analyze the relevant papers and records, at which time schools to undergo the primary approval or rejection decision is taken. This Does government an inspection; the require schools to frequency of decision will be made known in writing. Three years after undergo an inspection is Advanced opening, a second inspection will occur and based on inspection? dependent on results €€€€ exam results, the school enrolment rate, class of the previous attendance, and the number of students sitting for the inspection. final exams, an additional five-year approval will be Inspection reports given. Does the inspection include strengths and report outline the weaknesses of the Emerging Sanctions are based on how well schools perform in strengths and school, but schools weaknesses of the €€{{ are not required to terms of these indicators. The law highlights that if any school? submit improvement rules are broken at any time, the government can plans. ultimately close down a school. Associated legal Sanctions include documents also suggest that the private schools unable Are sanctions additional monitoring to meet these conditions can be denied registration administered based and fines, which are status. on the results of administered based Advanced school inspections or on the results of The government requires government-funded private performance on €€€€ school inspections or schools to report on the use of public funds as a condition standardized exams? performance on of continued funding, but there is no standard term standardized exams. specified for such reporting. B. Policies for Government-Funded Private Schools Informed by the results of the benchmarking procedure, Item Score Justification the following suggested policy options would help Government requires Bangladesh increase the accountability of private Are schools required schools to report on schools: to report to the use of public x Establish learning standards that specify what government on the Emerging funds as a condition use of public funds as €€{{ of continued funding, students need to learn, by when, and how well. a condition of but requirements are x Require schools to submit a school improvement continued funding? ad hoc and there is no plan following inspections, including specific standard schedule. priorities for improvement. For government-funded private schools: x Require schools to report on the use of public funds on a standard schedule. 19 BANGLADESH ǀ ENGAGING THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN EDUCATION SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2016 Development level Goal 3: Empowering all parents, students, and Independent private schools: communities Government-funded private schools: Empowering parents, students, and communities is one of the foundations for creating quality learning opportunities for all students. Poor and marginalized In Bangladesh, the policies on independent private children, together with youth, disproportionately lack schools to empower parents, students, and communities access to quality education services. To overcome this are established. Policies governing government-funded obstacle, governments need to increase providers’ private schools are emerging. Additional policy accountability to all clients, particularly underserved strategies are needed to increase the client power of groups. Educational access and the performance of parents and better allow them to hold providers schools and students can be substantially impacted by accountable for results. openly disseminating comparable school performance The way in which information is provided to parents information (Andrabi, Das, and Khwaja 2009; Pandey, differs according to the type of school students attend. Goyal, and Sundararaman 2009; Björkman 2007; Indeed, regular information is provided to parents on Reinikka and Svensson 2005); increasing parental standardized exam results and/or in inspection reports in influence in the school (Skoufias and Shapiro 2006; King independent private schools, usually through websites or and Özler 2005; Jimenez and Sawada 1999; Gertler, notice boards for grades 5, 8, 10, and 12. Concerning Patrinos, and Rubio-Codina 2012; Di Gropello and government-funded private schools, only ad-hoc Marshall 2005); and implementing demand-side information is provided to parents for the same grades interventions, such as scholarships, vouchers, or cash via similar information platforms. This information has transfers, to help the most vulnerable students (Orazem been provided by consulting experts in Bangladesh, as no and King 2007; Filmer and Schady 2008; Lewis and legal document was found regarding the regulation of Lockheed 2007; Patrinos 2002; Barrera-Osorio 2006). the provision of information to parents in non-state Effective policy practices for non-state providers include schools in Bangladesh. some of the indicators listed in box 4. As seen previously, the Rules and Regulations under the Box 4. International best practice—empowering all Education Ministry for Establishing, Starting and Approving Private Schools, Colleges and Madrassas parents, students, and communities (23/4/97) regulate the way in which the inspection process works in non-state schools. This legal document, x Information on standardized tests and school however, does not stipulate that parents and students inspections is made available by multiple sources. are to be interviewed as part of the inspection process. x Parents and students are included in the inspection and improvement-planning processes. In terms of the affordability of private education options, Bangladesh is one of few countries to have operated x Admission processes for entry into publicly funded conditional cash transfer (CCT) programs for over three schools are not based on student background; a lottery is used in cases of oversubscription. decades. The government has introduced two major CCT programs over that period: x School choice is not hindered by mandatory financial contributions. x Primary Education Stipend Program (PESP): initiated in 2002, PESP aims to support more x Tax subsidies, scholarships, or cash transfers are available to families whose children attend than 5 million pupils (Tietjen 2003). independent private schools. x Female Stipend Program (FSP): introduced in 1982, FSP targets girls at the secondary level in order to increase enrolment and retention (Raynor and Wesson 2006). 20 BANGLADESH ǀ ENGAGING THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN EDUCATION SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2016 Government-funded private schools are not allowed to Table 8. Goal 3: Empowering all parents, students, and select students and are required to conduct a lottery if a communities school is over subscribed. However, parental choice is restricted by voluntary monetary parent contributions. A. Common Policies: Independent Private Schools and Government-Funded Private Schools Informed by the results of the benchmarking procedure for Bangladesh, the following suggested policy options Item Score Justification would help empower parents and students to influence Are students Neither students nor the quality of education services provided by private interviewed as part of Emerging parents are surveyed as schools: the inspection €€{{ part of the inspection process? process. x Consider interviewing parents and students as part of the inspection process. B. Policies for Independent Private Schools Item Score Justification For government-funded private schools: x Increase parents’ access to information on What is the current Regular information is policy on providing school quality, including examination and school information to Established provided to parents on inspection reports, in order to allow them to standardized exam parents/students on €€€{ results and/or inspection make informed decisions on their children’s the results of reports. schooling. standardized exams? x Ease voluntary monetary parent contributions to Does the government allow lower-income families to access these provide tax subsidies The government or cash transfers to provides tax subsidies types of schools. families whose Established and cash transfers to children attend €€€{ families whose children independent private attend private schools. schools? C. Policies for Government-Funded Private Schools Item Score Justification What is the current Ad-hoc information is policy on providing provided to parents on information to Emerging standardized exam parents/students on €€{{ results or inspection the results of reports. standardized exams? Are schools allowed to Schools are not allowed apply selective to select students and Advanced admission criteria are required to conduct when selecting €€€€ a lottery if a school is students? over subscribed. Parental choice is Are schools allowed to restricted by voluntary charge additional fees Emerging monetary parent or accept €€{{ contributions, that is, contributions from contributions to a school parents? fund. 21 BANGLADESH ǀ ENGAGING THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN EDUCATION SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2016 Goal 4: Promoting diversity of supply Development level By opening education to a more diverse set of providers, Private independent schools: governments can increase client power and make providers directly accountable to students and parents Government-funded private schools: for results. Although the public sector will always remain an important (and, in most cases, the predominant) provider of education services, educational choice can be In Bangladesh, the policies in place to promote diversity used as part of a package of reforms to improve of supply for independent private schools have achieved education access and quality in both the public and an overall score of established, representing some private sectors (Hoxby 2003; Levin and Belfield 2003; De instances of good practice. Government-funded private la Croix and Doepke 2009; Carnoy and McEwan 2003; schools have achieved an overall score of emerging, Himmler 2007; Angrist et al. 2002; World Bank 2003). In showing the need to promote more diversity of supply order to facilitate quality improvements through for these types of schools. increased school competition and choice, governments Guidelines outlining the steps or requirements for non- can (i) allow multiple types of providers to operate; state schools to receive registration/authorization are (ii) promote clear, open, affordable, and unrestrictive made public, but these are available from only a single certification standards; and (iii) make government source. Indeed, the Rules and Regulations under the funding (and other incentives) available to non-state Education Ministry for Establishing, Starting and schools. This policy goal aims to increase the ability of Approving Private Schools, Colleges and Madrassas diverse providers to provide education services. In order (25/5/97), Section 9, Table 1 (1–13) regulates the to do so, a number of policy indicators are suggested, as registration criteria for non-state schools in Bangladesh. outlined in box 5. The following rules apply to different types of schools in Bangladesh: Box 5. International best practice—promoting diversity of supply Registration criteria for primary schools: x The central government allows different types of providers to operate schools. x Primary approval: For primary approval, Form Ka x Certification standards do not prohibit market (equivalent to Form A), has to be filled out and a entry. specific fee must be deposited with the government. The form must be submitted to the x Information on market-entry requirements is available from multiple sources. Directorate of Primary Education. Within 60 days, DPE will visit the school to see if all x Regulatory fees do not prohibit market entry. requirements are met. If yes, approval will be x Publicly funded non-state schools and public given for one year. schools receive equivalent student funding; funding is increased to meet specific student x Temporary registration: After one year, for needs. temporary registration, Form Go (equivalent to x The central government provides incentives for Form D), has to be filled out and a fee market entry, such as access to start-up funding, determined by government must be submitted public land, and public buildings. to the Treasury. The form must be submitted to x Schools are able to plan budgets six months in DPE. The Registration Authority will visit the advance of the academic year. school and if it is found satisfactory, the authority will grant approval for a three-year x Privately managed schools are not restricted by student numbers, school numbers, or location. registration. x The central government does not restrict tuition x Registration: Sixty days before the end of these levels at private independent schools. three years, Form Cha (equivalent to Form F), must be filled out and a fee determined by the government submitted to the Registration Authority. If the criteria in the form are satisfied, 22 BANGLADESH ǀ ENGAGING THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN EDUCATION SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2016 the school will receive a registration for five x Library requirement: 2,000 books. years. x Funding: Tk 50,000 in reserve funds, as well as Tk 30,000 in general funds. Registration criteria for secondary schools (grade 6–8): x To name a school after a individual, a fee of Tk. 1,000,000 must be paid. x Minimum distance from one institution to x Curriculum: NCTB (National Curriculum Text another: 1 kilometer within a municipality or Board)-approved. industrial area; 6 kilometers in a rural area. x Extracurricular activities: Sports, games, cultural x Minimum population where the institution will program, planting trees, scouts/girl guides, and be set up: 8,000. cleaning, etc., must be maintained. x Own land: 0.2 acre for a city corporation area; x School management: As per law, a School 0.30 acre in a municipality area; 0.5 acre in a Management Committee must be present in the rural area. school. x School building/ own room: 1 sq. yard per student, with a minimum of 1,000 square yards for a concrete/semi-concrete/tin shed building. Registration criteria for higher secondary school (grades x Number of teachers and employees are allotted 11–12) and Alim madrassas (grades 1–12) according to the school’s staffing pattern and x Minimum distance from one institution to qualifications or as per school laws. another: 1 kilometer for a municipality or x Library requirement: 1,000 books. industrial area; 6 kilometers for a rural area. x Funding: Tk 30,000 in reserve funds, as well as Tk x Minimum population where the institution will 30, 000 in general funds. be set up: 75,000. x To name a school after an individual, a fee of Tk x Own land: 0.5 acre for a city corporation area; 600,000 must be paid. 0.75 acre in a municipality; 1 acre in a rural area. x Curriculum: NCTB (National Curriculum Text x School building/own room: 1 square yard per Board)-approved student, with a minimum dependent on the x Extracurricular activities: sports, games, cultural school’s student requirements. program, planting trees, scouts/girl guides, and x Number of teachers and employees are allotted cleaning, etc., must be maintained. according to the school’s staffing pattern and x School management: As per the law, a School qualifications or as per school laws. Management Committee must be present in the school. x Library requirement: 2,000 books. x Funding: Tk 10,000 in reserve funds, as well as Tk Registration criteria for secondary schools (grades 8– 50,000 in general funds. 10) and Dakhil madrassas (grades 1–10) x To name a school after an individual, a fee of Tk x Minimum distance from one institution to 1,500,000 must be paid. another: 1 kilometer for a municipality or x Curriculum: NCTB- approved industrial area; 6 kilometers for a rural area. x Extracurricular activities: Sports, games, cultural x Minimum population where the institution will program, planting trees, scouts/girl guides, be set up: 10,000. cleaning, etc., must be maintained. x Own land: 0.25 acre for a city corporation area; x School management: As per law, a School 0.5 in a municipality; 0.75 acre in a rural area. Management Committee must be present in the x School building/own room: 1 square yard per school. student. Minimum square yardage dependent x School Management Committee: 1997 on the school’s student requirements. regulations must be followed. For madrassas, x Number of teachers and employees are allotted 1979 regulations must be followed. according to the school’s staffing pattern and qualifications, or as per school laws. 23 BANGLADESH ǀ ENGAGING THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN EDUCATION SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2016 In terms of regulatory operating fees, both private Table 9. Goal 4: Promoting diversity of supply independent and government-funded private schools A. Common Policies: Independent Private Schools and have to pay fees to the government. Fees for each type Government-Funded Private Schools of school are outlined below: Item Score Justification x Independent private primary schools: ongoing Does the The government allows all of certification fee and optional name search fee. government allow the following organizational Advanced multiple types of €€€€ types to operate a school: x Independent private secondary schools: providers to Community; Not for profit; registration fee (in three installments) and operate a school? Faith based; For profit. optional name search fee. Certification standards not linked to education outcomes x Government-funded private schools: restrict entry, including the registration fee, as indicated by “'Rules and following criteria: What are the Regulations under the Education Ministry for Latent - land (undulating, distance criteria for school Establishing, Starting and Approving Private €{{{ from public venues, etc.) registration? - facilities (separate science Schools, Colleges and Madrassas (23.04.1997).” labs, weather vanes, etc.) - assets (ownership of land or For independent private schools, according to Article 4-C buildings) Are there clear of the Registration of Private Schools Ordinance of 1962, guidelines schools must set adequate tuition fees. The amount that publicized by Established Registration/certifi-cation satisfies the requirement of “adequate” has, however, multiple sources €€€{ guidelines are made public, not been mentioned in any legal document, but the that outline the but only by a single source. requirements for government does review the tuition fees set by the school registration? schools. Are schools Latent Schools are able to operate required to pay fees €{{{ while paying more than 4 In government-funded private schools, academic in order to operate? types of fees operating budgets are not equivalent to per-student B. Policies for Independent Private Schools amounts in public schools. The government provides Item Score Justification more funding to public schools than government-funded Who has legal private schools (i.e., MPO-enlisted private schools). This Established Schools set fees, which are authority to includes funding for both academic budgets (including subject to review by the determine tuition €€€{ government. teaching salaries, learning materials, technology) and fee standards? non-academic budgets (including facilities, transport, C. Policies for Government-Funded Private Schools utilities, infrastructure, etc.). All public school Item Score Justification expenditures are borne by the government. For MPO- enlisted private schools, the government only pays the Does the government provide Academic operating salaries of selected teachers who are enlisted to receive equivalent funding of academic budgets are not budgets (i.e., teaching salaries, Latent monthly pay orders. All other school expenses of these equivalent to per- learning materials, technology) €{{{ schools are borne by the school governing body. student amounts in for public and government- Government-funded private schools also do not receive public schools. funded private schools? any start-up funding or grants from the government. Do government-funded private Latent No incentives exist Furthermore, these schools are provided information on schools receive any start-up for private providers. funding/grants? €{{{ the government allocations to be transferred to them less than one month before the start of the academic Schools are provided How far in advance of the year. information on the beginning of the academic year allocations to be are privately managed schools Latent transferred to them provided information on the €{{{ less than one month amount of their upcoming before the start of government funding? the academic year. 24 BANGLADESH ǀ ENGAGING THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN EDUCATION SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2016 Informed by the results of the benchmarking procedure for Bangladesh, the following suggested policy options would help better promote diversity of supply for private schools: x Ease the minimum standards on land and facilities required for schools to be allowed to operate. x Reduce the number of fees schools are required to pay in order to operate; ensure that the fees enable a safe learning environment. Government-funded private schools: x The government could provide equivalent targeted funding to meet specific student needs, such as those of low-income students, girls, and/ or other marginalized groups. x Consider start-up funding if the government wishes to support additional government- funded private schools. 25 BANGLADESH ǀ ENGAGING THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN EDUCATION SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2016 From Analysis to Action: Policy 3. Increase outcome-based accountability of private schools. Options for Bangladesh 4. Ensure the regulatory environment maintains At both the primary and secondary levels in Bangladesh, standards of quality for providers entering the we find diverse types of education providers, including primary and secondary education market. public schools, independent private schools, and government-funded private schools. As examined in the These options are supported by international evidence, previous section, policies regulating the private sector in best practice, and examples of countries that have used basic education in Bangladesh range from “emerging” in innovative interventions to improve the performance of such aspects as empowering parents, students, and their education systems from a variety of starting points. communities in government-funded private schools, to Policy Option 1: Improve information at the “advanced” in several aspects such as encouraging school level innovation by providers in both types of private schools In Bangladesh, schooling choices for households are at primary and secondary levels. Given the results of the impacted by factors such as financial cost and SABER-EPS benchmarking exercise, policy options are information about school quality. While Bangladesh was offered for government consideration. Recognizing the one of the first countries to implement conditional cash wide supply of schools, particularly at the primary level, transfer programs in its education system, and these these recommendations focus primarily on quality and programs have increased schooling options for students equity in the education system. at the primary and secondary levels, the amount of As previously noted, net enrolment at the primary level information available to households depends on the type has been above 90 percent for a number of years and of school. Regular information is available for persistence to the last grade of primary school has independent private schools, but only ad-hoc increased significantly—from 67.2 percent in 2010 to information is available for government-funded private 80.5 percent in 2013. Yet only 48 percent of school-age schools. The current regulatory framework for non-state children were enrolled in secondary school in 2012. providers in the country shows that efforts could be While enrolment in private primary schools has grown made to improve information made available to parents. tremendously in recent years, this trend has shifted since The government of Bangladesh could increase the 2013 with the nationalization of RNGPS to NNPS, as these information provided to parents, which could include formerly government-funded private institutions are school report cards, classroom assessment results, now considered public. At the secondary level, examination results, and inspection reports. Giving enrolment in private schools has significantly increased parents greater access to school information with in the last decade, showing the growing role of this sector disaggregated data can allow families to make better- in the provision of education in Bangladesh. The analysis informed choices on their children’s schooling. Global of policy documents regulating the private sector in both evidence has shown that empowering parents through private independent and government-funded private increased information and supporting their schools has shed light on some areas for improvement. understanding of school operations can lead to greater Based on the results of the benchmarking exercise, four transparency, as well as enable them to influence school policy options are suggested to strengthen the quality. Interventions that give parents access to school government’s engagement with independent private performance information have had significant impacts in and government-funded private schools to ensure both developed and developing countries. learning for all: Country examples 1. Improve information at the school level. Interventions that give access to school performance 2. Build on incentives for the poorest students to information have had significant impacts in both attend private schools. developed and developing countries. In Punjab, Pakistan, providing school report cards to parents, communities, 26 BANGLADESH ǀ ENGAGING THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN EDUCATION SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2016 and teachers improved student performance by 0.15 The Secondary Education Quality and Access standard deviations and reduced fees in high-quality Enhancement Project (SEQAEP) was implemented in private schools by over 20 percent. The largest learning 2008 with several objectives, one of which was to gains (0.34 standard deviations) were for initially low- improve equitable access to secondary school for poor performing (below median baseline test scores) private boys and girls through the provision of stipends and schools (Andrabi et al. 2009). tuition, based on pro-poor targeting and educational criteria (e.g., maintaining passing grades and regular In the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, attendance). SEQAEP has been shown to have a Honduras, and Nicaragua, a USAID-funded program— significant impact in increasing the enrolment of poor Civic Engagement for Education Reform in Central students in the upazilas (sub-districts) where the America (CERCA)— implemented a school report card program was implemented. that focused on indicators in four areas: The government of Bangladesh could consider 1. Context: basic profile information (i.e., number of expanding this program to additional upazilas to students in each grade, etc.) and access to services encourage the poorest students in all areas of the at the school (i.e., sanitation, electricity, etc.). country to complete primary schooling and make the 2. Inputs: class size, access to resources (e.g., transition to secondary school. Since an overwhelming notebooks, pens, etc.), and access to social majority of institutions are private at the secondary level services (e.g., school meals, health programs, etc.). and parental choice is restricted by financial costs, 3. Processes: student and teacher attendance, increasing existing poverty-targeted secondary school plan implementation, and parent education stipend programs such as SEQAEP could participation. increase overall enrolment in secondary education. 4. Results: coverage and efficiency (for the latter, Additionally, recognizing that Bangladesh has a low repetition and retention rates are reported). completion rate for lower secondary school—58.4 percent in 2011 (World Bank N.d.)—the government could strengthenoversight of educational criteria for The results of the school report card are used by programs such as SEQAEP to ensure that targeted communities to develop and monitor implementation of students do not drop out. school action plans (CERCA 2006). By providing additional financial benefits such as cash Policy Option 2: Build on incentives for the transfers to families to enable their children to attend private secondary schools, the state can protect poorest students to attend private schools marginalized groups while simultaneously promoting a 1. Build on existing demand-side incentives for the diverse supply of quality providers. Additionally, such poorest students to attend private schools. demand-side mechanisms are cost-effective approaches for expanding access to education services. Future Currently, the government of Bangladesh provides tax education policy needs to target marginalized groups subsidies or cash transfers to enable children to attend more purposefully; flat-rate subsidies to all households private schools at the primary and secondary levels: should be avoided in favor of directing subsidies to the Primary Education Stipend Program (PESP) and the poorest. This option has budget implications for the Female Stipend Program (FSP). PESP is poverty-targeted; government and requires further analysis before a however, primary completion rates are considerably detailed policy discussion could take place. lower (65 percent) for students from the poorest wealth quintile compared with students from the wealthiest quintile (97 percent; see figure 8). As previously noted, Country example net enrolment in secondary education overall is low: 47.7 In Cambodia, two evaluations of the impact of percent in 2012 (World Bank N.d.). The FSP has been scholarships for lower secondary school have shown shown to be effective in increasing female enrolment in substantial increases in school enrolment and secondary school; at present, there is even a reverse attendance. Recipients were 20–30 percentage points gender gap in secondary education. more likely to be enroled and attending school as a result 27 BANGLADESH ǀ ENGAGING THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN EDUCATION SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2016 of the scholarships. Impacts on learning outcomes were, In the Netherlands, which has a national voucher policy, however, limited (Filmer and Schady 2008, 2009, and school choice is used by the majority of parents, with 2011). A new approach to scholarships at the primary over 70 percent of students enrolled in non-state level were subsequently tried, using two different schools. This includes families from across the income targeting mechanisms, one based on a student’s poverty spectrum (Koning and van der Wiel 2010). level and the other on baseline test scores (“merit”). Both targeting mechanisms increased enrolment and Country example attendance. However, only the merit-based targeting In Pakistan, the Punjab Education Foundation launched induced positive effects on test scores. The results an Education Voucher Scheme (EVS) in 2006 to benefit suggest that in order to balance equity and efficiency, a children in less affluent and underprivileged areas who two-step targeting approach might be preferable: first, otherwise could not access education due to financial target low-income individuals and then, among them, and social constraints. The scheme is immensely popular target based on merit (Barrera-Osorio and Filmer 2013). due to its positive effects on poorer segments of society. It enables children aged 4–17 years to attend a nearby For more information on scholarships in Cambodia EVS private school of their choice for free, targeting in please click here. particular out-of-school children, orphans, children of widows and single parents, as well as children who 2. Consider implementing other programs, such as cannot afford school. There are no up-front voucher schemes, to increase poor students’ infrastructure costs, as existing schools express their access to education, particularly at the secondary interest in participating in the EVS. A partnership level. between a school and EVS is dependent on continuous quality assurance, including school visits and bi-annual The secondary education subsector is dominated by quality assurance tests (QAT) that assess improvements government-funded private providers. Public schools are in student learning outcomes (Punjab Education few in number and exist primarily in district Foundation 2014). headquarters. Access to public secondary schools is limited, particularly for children in rural areas, and there For more information on the Education Voucher is a high level of competition for seats, with places Scheme, click here. awarded to students who score higher on entrance exams. Thus, for most students, school choice at the secondary level is limited to private schools. The Policy Option 3: Increase outcome-based government could consider implementing a voucher accountability of private schools. program that would allow poor students to attend the school of their choice. Many private secondary schools Currently in Bangladesh there are limited incentives and already receive government funding; however this is support structures to improve schools. Policies on largely in the form of MPOs for teacher salaries. Funding inspections could be reinforced in order to increase for private schools could also be made available based on accountability at the school level. Furthermore, the their ability to attract students and encourage enrolment government requires schools to report on the use of in secondary education. public funds as a condition of continued funding, but no standard schedule is specified in the current legislative Voucher schools are a system whereby a government framework. Two specific policy options identified by this provides funding to the school chosen by a student; analysis are to require schools to submit school these schools can be operated by government or non- improvement plans and to require government-funded government providers, or both, depending on the private schools to regularly report on the use of public system. Vouchers can be targeted to certain populations funds. or they can be universal for all students in the system. A Colombian program that offered school vouchers to low- Require schools to submit a school improvement plan. In income families had positive impacts on student Bangladesh, the regulatory framework clearly sets a achievement and school completion (Angrist et al. 2002). framework for how inspections are conducted. However, 28 BANGLADESH ǀ ENGAGING THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN EDUCATION SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2016 there are no clear rules as to how schools are held Require government-funded private schools to report on accountable. One policy option that the government the use of public funds on a standard schedule. For might consider is to require schools to submit a school government-funded private schools in Bangladesh, improvement plan following inspections, including greater accountability on the use of public funds also specific priorities for improvement. Improvement needs to be strengthened. Greater transparency and planning can facilitate positive change as a school strives more rigorous compliance would ensure that this funding to deliver better educational outcomes for all students. is used efficiently by private providers. School improvement plans have been an important piece of multiple successful education programs in developing countries (Bruns, Filmer, and Patrinos 2011). These plans Country examples traditionally outline the goals that the school desires to In Uganda, a survey in 1991 showed that only 13 percent achieve, strategies for achieving those goals, and of government funds were reaching schools. This led the practical actionable steps needed to be taken by each government to disseminate information on monthly individual within the school. Research has shown that transfers to the districts via newspapers and radio. improvement plans can be successful when they clearly Schools were also required to show use of the intended define goals; pursue simple actions with consistency; funds per student. By 1999, around 90 percent of funding align standards, curriculum, instruction, and assessment; had reached schools and was being used to support and create a culture of achievement (Schmoker and student learning (Reinikka and Svensson 2005). Marzano 1999; Reeves 2006; Collins 2005). Changes at the school level, however, will only occur when For more information, click here. relationships in the school are also strengthened. School leaders must ensure that improvement plans are meaningful to all stakeholders and purposeful actions are taken throughout the school (Fullan 2007). Policy Option 4: Ensure the regulatory environment maintains standards of quality for providers entering the primary and Country examples secondary education market. Western Cape, South Africa, requires schools to submit individual school improvement plans. Particular Bangladesh is noted for its diversity of education attention is given to those schools that did not achieve providers, especially at the primary level. With such a the required pass rate on state examinations. The diverse market, regulatory frameworks must be number of underperforming schools has declined every enforced to ensure that each provider is held year since the requirement was established, from 85 in accountable to the same standards of quality. School 2009 to 26 in 2012 (Western Cape 2013). registration and certification criteria are linked only to inputs, with restrictions particularly stringent at the In Brazil, the Ministry’s Plano de Desenvolvimento da secondary level. The government could consider linking Escola (PDE) project required schools to identify their certification standards to educational outcomes at most serious problems and develop their own school schools in order to increase schools’ accountability to improvement plans. PDE also required schools to focus students, families, and communities and to ensure that their plans on two or three effectiveness factors (EFs), higher-quality learning opportunities are offered to all one of which must be effective teaching and learning; the students. other EFs are chosen from a list of general areas detailed in the PDE manual. Students in PDE schools saw greater increases in grade passing rates than students in non- Evidence suggests that the effect of school autonomy on PDE schools (Carnoy et al. 2008). student achievement is tied closely to the level of accountability in a school system (Abdulkadiroglu et al. For more information on Brazil’s PDE and use of school 2009; Woessmann et al. 2007; OECD 2009). That is, for improvement plans, please click here. school autonomy to have the strongest positive effect on student performance, it must be accompanied by strong 29 BANGLADESH ǀ ENGAGING THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN EDUCATION SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2016 mechanisms of accountability. Local decision making educated by independent private providers to reach works best in contexts where schools are held expected intellectual, human, social, and career accountable for their results (Hanushek and Woessmann development goals. The ESO also sets standards for 2013). education delivery for students with special educational needs. Schools are expected to implement Individual Student Education Plans to support them (British At the primary level, the government could expand the Columbia 2013). National Student Assessment (NSA) to all types of schools. Currently only school type is included in its Additional information on the Education Standards implementation, meaning that schools that are not Order in British Columbia can be found here. tested are held to a different degree of accountability. Bangladesh could make funding for private schools contingent upon their participation in and success rates of these assessments. Similarly, at the secondary level, where a vast majority of schools are government-funded private institutions, the government could consider providing increased funding to schools that maintain higher retention rates as well as pass rates on both the secondary school certificate and higher secondary certificate. The government could also consider expanding SEQAEP to additional upazilas, as recommended under policy option 2.1. Country examples In Jordan, the education system has undergone a number of reforms, one of which has been the establishment of clear student learning standards. The Ministry of Education in Jordan states that education must promote high levels of student success, measured by performance indicators meant to bolster learning outcomes (Jordan-Ministry of Education 2006). Between 1999 and 2007, Jordan experienced a sustained period of improvement in student scores on the international TIMSS exam. In Namibia, following an evaluation of the adequacy of the education and training system in supporting national development goals, new learning standards were put in place to define the core knowledge and skills to be acquired at the end of each school phase. The knowledge and skills were explicitly chosen to support Namibia’s goal of being a knowledge based economy by 2030 (Namibia-Ministry of Education 2007). In British Columbia, Canada, the top-performing Canadian province on international assessments, the Education Standards Order (ESO) requires all children 30 BANGLADESH ǀ ENGAGING THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN EDUCATION SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2016 Acknowledgements Australian Council for Education Research (ACER). 2014. “2013 Learning Assessment of SEQAEP Institutions.” ACER, Melbourne, Australia. This report presents country data collected using the Bangladesh, Government of People’s Republic of. Bureau of SABER-EPS instrument and reflects an ever-evolving Statistics). 2010. “Report of the Household Income & policy environment. The report was authored by Rachel Expenditure Survey 2010.” Cooper with key inputs from Minju Choi. A previous ———. BANBEIS (Bangladesh Bureau of Educational version of the report was prepared by Hugo Wesley in Information and Statistics). 2013. Basic Education collaboration with Professor Najmul Hossein (principal Statistics 2013. investigator) in Bangladesh. 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Human Development Sector, World Bank, Washington, DC. ———. N.d. Data: Bangladesh. World Bank, Washington, DC. http://data.worldbank.org/country/bangladesh 34 BANGLADESH ǀ ENGAGING THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN EDUCATION SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2016 Annex I: SABER-Engaging the Private Sector Rubrics The following tables display the indicators and scales utilized for benchmarking an individual country’s policy on private sector engagement in education. Across the four types of private schools, the indicators pertaining to each goal are largely the same; where a certain indicator pertains only to certain school types, this is noted within the table. Table A1.1 Policy Goal: Encouraging Innovation by Providers Indicator Latent Emerging Established Advanced The central government has Regional or municipal Regional or municipal Schools have the legal the legal authority to set governments have the legal governments have the legal authority to set their own minimum standards for authority to set minimum authority to set minimum teacher standards without Teacher standards teachers. standards for teachers, with standards for teachers without final review by central final review by central final review by central authorities. authorities. authorities. The central government has Regional or municipal Regional or municipal Schools (i.e., individual the legal authority to governments have the legal governments have the legal school principals, school appoint and deploy teachers. authority to appoint and authority to appoint and deploy councils, parent Teacher appointment deploy teachers. teachers without review by associations, etc.) have and deployment Appointments are subject to central authorities. the legal authority to final review by central appoint teachers without authorities. review by central authorities. The central government has Regional or municipal Regional or municipal Schools have the legal the legal authority to governments have the legal governments have the legal authority to determine determine teacher salary authority to determine authority to determine teacher teacher salary levels Teacher salary levels. teacher salary levels, with salary levels without review by without review by central final review by central central authorities. authorities. authorities. The central government has Regional or municipal Regional or municipal Schools have the legal the legal authority to governments have the legal governments have the legal authority to dismiss Teacher dismissal dismiss teachers. authority to dismiss authority to dismiss teachers teachers without review teachers, with final review without review by central by central authorities. by central authorities. authorities. 35 BANGLADESH ǀ ENGAGING THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN EDUCATION SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2016 Table A1.1 Policy Goal: Encouraging Innovation by Providers Indicator Latent Emerging Established Advanced The central government has Regional or municipal Regional or municipal Schools have the legal the legal authority over how governments have the legal governments have the legal authority over how the the curriculum is delivered. authority over how the authority over how the curriculum is delivered Curriculum delivery curriculum is delivered, curriculum is delivered without without final review by with final review from final review from central central authorities. central authorities. authorities. The central government has Regional or municipal Regional or municipal School have the legal the legal authority over how governments have the legal governments have the legal authority over how resources are allocated to authority over how authority over how resources resources are allocated to the classroom (e.g., class resources are allocated to are allocated to classrooms classrooms without final Classroom resourcing sizes). classrooms, with final without final review by central review by central review from central authorities (e.g., class size). authorities (e.g., class authorities (e.g., class sizes). sizes). The central government has Regional or municipal Regional or municipal Schools have the legal Budget autonomy the legal authority over the governments have the legal governments have the legal authority over the management of school authority over the authority over the management management of school (not applicable to operating budgets. management of school of school operating budgets operating budgets without independent private operating budgets, with without final review by central final review by central schools) final review by central authorities. authorities. authorities. Table A1.2 Policy Goal: Holding Schools Accountable Indicator Latent Emerging Established Advanced The national government The national government The national government does The national government does not set standards on does set standards for what set standards for what students does set standards for Student Standards what students need to learn. students need to learn, but it need to learn and also indicates what students need to does not indicate how well EITHER by when OR how learn, by when, and how or by when. well. well. 36 BANGLADESH ǀ ENGAGING THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN EDUCATION SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2016 Students do not take Standardized exams are Standardized exams are Standardized exams are standardized exams. administered, but not administered annually. administered annually and annually. results are disaggregated by school, socioeconomic Student Assessment background, gender, and other criteria of student disadvantage. The central government The central government The central government The central government does not require schools to requires schools to undergo requires schools to undergo requires schools to undergo inspections. inspections, but no term is standard term inspections. undergo inspections, with specified. the frequency of Inspection inspections depending on the results of the previous inspection. Not applicable if the Inspection reports include Inspection reports include the Inspection reports include government does not require strengths and weaknesses of strengths and weaknesses of a strengths and weaknesses schools to take part in the school. school, as well as specific of the school. Schools are Improvement inspections. priorities for improvement. required to submit a planning school improvement plan with specific priorities for improvement following the inspection. Sanctions are not Sanctions include additional Sanctions include additional Sanctions include administered based on the monitoring and/or monitoring and/or fines, which additional monitoring, results of school inspections warnings; they are are administered based on the fines, and as a final or school performance on administered based on the results of school inspections or measure, school closures; standardized exams. results of school inspections school performance on decisions are made based or school performance on standardized exams. For on the results of school Sanctions and standardized exams. government-funded, privately inspections or school rewards managed, and voucher performance on schools: rewards may also be standardized exams. For used. government-funded, privately managed, voucher schools: rewards are also used. 37 BANGLADESH ǀ ENGAGING THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN EDUCATION SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2016 The central government The government requires The central government The central government does not require schools to schools to report on the use requires schools to report on requires schools to report report on the use of public of public funds as a the use of public funds as a on the use of public funds Financial reporting funds as a condition for the condition for continued condition for continued as a condition for (not applicable to continuation of funding. funding, but on an ad-hoc funding according to a continued funding on a independent private basis and not according to a standard term. standard-term basis, with schools) standard-term schedule. greater monitoring of schools that have failed to adhere to report requirements in the past. Table A.1.3. Policy Goal: Empowering All Parents, Students and Communities Indicator Latent Emerging Established Advanced No information is provided Ad-hoc information is Regular information is A variety of sources to parents on the results of provided to parents on provided to parents on provide parents regular standardized exams or standardized exam results or standardized exam results or information provided on inspection reports. inspection reports. inspection reports. standardized exam results (disaggregated by school, socioeconomic background, gender, and Information other criteria of student disadvantage.) and inspection reports. Policy specifies information on interventions designed to targeted disadvantaged student groups. Not applicable if the Neither students nor parents Students and/or parents are Student and parents are government does not require are surveyed as part of the interviewed as part of the interviewed as part of the schools to take part in inspection process. inspection process. inspection process. inspections. Voice 38 BANGLADESH ǀ ENGAGING THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN EDUCATION SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2016 Table A.1.3. Policy Goal: Empowering All Parents, Students and Communities Indicator Latent Emerging Established Advanced Selection Schools are allowed to Schools are allowed to Schools are not allowed to Schools are not allowed to select students based on select students based on select students but schools are select students and are (not applicable to both academic performance academic performance or not required to use a lottery if required to conduct a independent private and geography. geography. oversubscribed. lottery if school if over- schools) subscribed. Contributions Parental choice is restricted Parental choice is restricted Parental choice is restricted by Parental choice is not by compulsory monetary by voluntary monetary voluntary nonmonetary restricted by any type of (not applicable to parent contributions that, if contributions (i.e., contributions (i.e., in-kind required parental independent private not paid, prohibits a child contributions to a school labor or goods) to a school. contributions. schools) from attending the school. fund). The central government The central government The central government The central government Financial support does not provide tax provides tax subsidies to provides tax subsidies and cash provides targeted cash (for independent subsidies or cash transfers families whose children transfers to families, which can transfers that can be used private schools only) to families whose children attend private schools. be used to enable their children by disadvantaged students attend private schools. to attend private schools. attending private schools. Table A.1.4. Policy Goal: Promoting Diversity of Supply Indicator Latent Emerging Established Advanced The central government The central government The central government allows The government allows allows one of the following allows two of the following three of the following types of all of the following types types of organizations to types of organizations to organizations to operate of organizations to operate schools: operate schools: schools: operate schools: Ownership Community Community Community Community Not-for-profit Not-for-profit Not-for-profit Not-for-profit Faith-based Faith-based Faith-based Faith-based For-profit For-profit For-profit For-profit 39 BANGLADESH ǀ ENGAGING THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN EDUCATION SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2016 Table A.1.4. Policy Goal: Promoting Diversity of Supply Indicator Latent Emerging Established Advanced Certification standards, Certification standards, Certification standards, which Certification standards, which are not linked to which are not linked to are not linked to education which are not linked to education outcomes, restrict education outcomes, restrict outcomes, restrict market education outcomes, do market entry. These include market entry. These include entry. These include one of the not restrict market entry. all of the following: two of the three following three following criteria: 1. land (undulating, distance criteria: 1. land (undulating, distance Certification from public venues, etc.) 2. 1. land (undulating, distance from public venues, etc.) standards facilities (separate science from public venues, etc.) or 2. facilities (separate science labs, weather vanes, etc.) 2. facilities (separate labs, weather vanes, etc.) 3. assets (ownership of land science labs, weather vanes, 3. assets (ownership of land or or buildings) etc.) buildings) 3. assets (ownership of land or buildings) Registration/certification Registration/certification Registration/certification Registration/certification Market entry guidelines are not officially guidelines are not made guidelines are made public, but guidelines are made information outlined. public and available only by a single source. public and by multiple upon request. sources. Schools are able to operate Schools are able to operate Schools are able to operate Schools are able to Regulatory fees while paying four or more while paying two to three while paying one type of fee. operate without paying types of fees. types of fees. fees. The central government sets The central government Schools set fees, but those fees Schools set fees without standardized tuition fees. does not set standardized are subject to review by the any review by the central Tuition fees tuition fees, but imposes a central government. government. (for independent tuition cap (an overall private schools only) amount or percentage increase). Academic operating budgets Academic operating All budgets — academic and All budgets — academic Funding are not equivalent to per- budgets are equivalent to other, such as for facilities and and other, such as for student funding amounts in per-student funding transport — are equivalent to facilities and transport — (not applicable to public schools. amounts in public schools. per-student funding amounts in are equivalent to per- independent private public schools. Schools do not student funding amounts schools) receive targeted funding to in public school. Schools meet specific student needs. receive targeted funding 40 BANGLADESH ǀ ENGAGING THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN EDUCATION SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2016 Table A.1.4. Policy Goal: Promoting Diversity of Supply Indicator Latent Emerging Established Advanced to meet specific student needs. No incentives exist. Schools are supported by Schools are supported by two Schools are supported by one of the following: of the following all of the following 1. 1. start-up funding similar 1. Start-up funding similar to Start-up funding similar to that provided to public that provided to public schools to that provided to public Incentives schools 2. access to government land schools (not applicable to 2. access to government or unused government 2. access to government independent private land or unused government facilities land or unused schools) facilities 3.exemption from local taxes government facilities 3. exemption from local (i.e., property taxes) similar to 3. exemption from local taxes (i.e., property taxes) that granted to public schools taxes (i.e., property taxes) similar to that granted to similar to that granted to public schools public schools Schools are provided Schools are provided Schools are provided Schools are provided Planning information on the information on the information on the allocations information on the (not applicable for allocations to be transferred allocations to be transferred to be transferred to them allocations to be independent private to them less than 1 month to them between 1 and 3 between 4 and 6 months before transferred to them more schools) before the start of the months before the start of the start of the academic year. than 6 months before the academic year. the academic year. start of the academic year. Coverage of charters is Coverage of charters is Coverage of charters is No restrictions. Charters restricted by three of the restricted by two of the restricted by one of the are not restricted by following: following: following: student numbers, school 1. student numbers 1. student numbers 1. student numbers numbers, or location (i.e., Coverage 2. school numbers and 2. school numbers and 2. school numbers and location certain cities or districts). (for privately managed location (i.e., certain cities (i.e., certain cities or districts). location (i.e., certain cities schools only) or districts) or districts) 3. only new or only existing schools are able to become No restrictions due to charters new/existing school status. 41 BANGLADESH ǀ ENGAGING THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN EDUCATION SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2016 www.worldbank.org/education/saber The Systems Approach for Better Education Results (SABER) initiative collects data on the policies and institutions of education systems around the world and benchmarks them against practices associated with student learning. SABER aims to give all parties with a stake in educational results—from students, administrators, teachers, and parents to policymakers and business people—an accessible, detailed, objective snapshot of how well the policies of their country's education system are oriented toward ensuring that all children and youth learn. This report focuses specifically on policies in the area of engaging the private sector in education. This work is a product of the staff of The World Bank with external contributions. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this work do not necessarily reflect the views of The World Bank, its Board of Executive Directors, or the governments they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this work. The boundaries, colors, denominations, and other information shown on any map in this work do not imply any judgment on the part of The World Bank concerning the legal status of any territory or the endorsement or acceptance of such boundaries. 42