Invest in Quality Education

In this day and age, it's almost critical to emphasise on the 'quality' of human capital. However, opinions about this can differ broadly from person to person. Having to keep so many variables in mind, it comes as no surprise that quality is very difficult to assess.

The cognitive ability gained during one's schooling years is as important, if not more, as the years spent in school. Multiple recent studies show that improving the quality of education should be of high priority in order to accelerate economic development. Many policies are formed keeping in mind the link between education and development. However, on a majority of instances, quantity is prioritised over quality.

The Goal 4 of United Nation's 'Sustainable Development Goals' focuses on ensuring inclusive and quality education for all and promoting lifelong learning by 2030. The Government of Bangladesh has given its consent to work towards the achievement of this goal. The Ministry of Education recognises human resource development to be one of the country's core development efforts. Access to quality education is considered critical for poverty reduction and economic development. However, despite claims of structural reforms in the education sector to further facilitate the former mentioned causes, the latest National Budget allocates only 1.8 percent of its total GDP to education. 

A significant percentage of children in Bangladesh live in the shadows of socio-economic deprivation. They are malnourished and almost never receive quality early education. Numerous existing educational institutions fail to provide qualified teaching staff and facilities that are child, disability and gender sensitive. There is a significant need for an effective learning environment that is safe, non-violent and inclusive.

Much work needs to be done in introducing affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including universities. Creating a workforce of youth and adults – possessing relevant technical and vocational skills – and ensuring employment for them will only be possible if attention is paid towards building capacity of the education and employment sector. Eliminating gender disparities in education and incorporating the indigenous and disabled into the existing workforce will be of grave difficulty if policies are not mandated to facilitate this.  

Given the drawbacks of the existing system, there is a need for quality education that not only equips individuals with skills and knowledge but also instils values of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and cultural diversity in them. The JAAGO Foundation has been working towards the eradication of poverty through quality education since 2007. The very ethos of the organisation revolves around recognising the need for and delivering quality education. The organisation advocates for quality education by actively introducing essential components and implementing required alterations to provide its socio economically disadvantaged students with a holistic and superior schooling experience.