Virtual Bangladesh : Education

Overview

[School Girl] The literacy rate in Bangladesh is very low, with significant disparity between female and male literacy rates. However, with the inception of Universal Primary Education program, the literacy rates have been going up. The education system is broken down into 4 levels, primary from grades 1 to 5, secondary from grades 6 to 10, higher secondary from from grades 11 to 12, and tertiary.

In the 1990s there were about 50,000 primary schools enrolling over 50 million students. There were about 9000 secondary institutions. The five years of lower secondary (grades six through ten) concluded with a secondary school certificate examination. Students who passed this examination proceeded to two years of higher secondary or intermediate training, which culminated in a higher secondary school examination after grade twelve. Higher secondary school was viewed as preparation for college rather than as the conclusion of high school. Development efforts in the late 1980s included programs to provide low-cost vocational education to the rural populace.

Other Information

Universities: Universities, colleges, medical schools and other institutions of higher learning in Bangladesh.
Education indicators: Education and literary statistics.
Education directory: Comprehensive directory of of other Bangladesh education related sites.