Schools face student crisis despite adequate infrastructure-teachers

At a classroom on the second floor of the Shaheed Buddhijibi Dr. Amin Uddin Government Primary School, a teacher is seen teaching just two students—both in third grade.

In a nearby classroom, another teacher is teaching five students from fourth grade.

This was the scene around 11:45am on 7 April at the school, located in the Nilkhet-Katabon area of Dhaka. No students from any other grades were present at the time.

Head teacher Reena Parveen explained that it was the first day of school after the Eid-ul-Fitr and Ramadan holidays, which is why attendance was low.

However, the real issue is the overall low student enrollment at the school. Official records show a total of only 122 students, from pre-primary (known locally as "Shishu" class) to fifth grade.

This includes: Pre-primary: 38 students, Grade 1: 27 students, Grade 2: 15 students, Grade 3: 12 students, Grade 4: 18 students and Grade 5: 12 students.

It was evident from the on-site visit that not only is the number of students on paper low, but daily classroom attendance is also thin. Yet, the school has good infrastructure and a much more pleasant environment compared to many other government primary schools in Dhaka.

Established on 41 decimals of land, the school has no shortage of teachers either. There are six teachers for six sanctioned positions. This school is also included in the government’s initiative to beautify 342 government primary schools in the capital. As a result, further infrastructure development is planned for the site.

Despite having good infrastructure, a pleasant environment, and an adequate number of teachers, the question remains: why is student enrollment so low? The answer largely points to the unplanned nature of the primary education system.

The mentioned school was established in 2014, and academic activities began the following year, in 2015.

Although the school is new at its current location, it has a history. Previously, in the Sutrapur area of Old Dhaka, there were two schools named Bipin Roy Boys' and Girls' Government Primary Schools. Among them, the Bipin Roy Girls' School was relocated to the current site, and its name was changed after the shift.

However, whether there was a genuine need for a new primary school in the relocated area was not properly assessed. Just across the street from the government school in question, there is another institution called Nilkhet Government Primary School, located a short distance away. That school has 182 students and 10 teachers.

Moreover, within the same compound, there is also another institution named Nilkhet High School, which offers classes from kindergarten up to grade ten.

The only distinction is administrative: Shaheed Buddhijibi Dr. Amin Uddin Government Primary School falls under the Dhanmondi education zone, while the neighboring Nilkhet Government Primary School is part of the Ramna education zone.

Reena Parveen, the head teacher, told Prothom Alo that low student numbers might be due to the school being relatively new, and the fact that there are several other government and private schools nearby.

Still, she emphasised that despite the low enrollment, student attendance is relatively consistent.

There are 951 government primary schools across Dhaka district and Dhaka city, with 341 located within the city itself. These schools mainly serve students from economically disadvantaged families. Shaheed Buddhijibi Dr. Amin Uddin School has struggled with low student numbers since its inception, and its location hasn’t helped.

The primary and mass education ministry is considering merging government primary schools that have had very low enrollment for 10 years or more. Around 300 such schools have been listed, and steps are being taken to merge them with nearby institutions based on local needs.

One such proposal involves merging a school in the New Market area with Shaheed Buddhijibi Dr. Amin Uddin School. However, education experts believe this might not help, as students from distant areas are unlikely to attend. Instead, they suggest considering a merger with the nearby Nilkhet school.

When asked, Dhanmondi Thana Primary Education Officer S M Takibul Islam told Prothom Alo that the main reason for the low enrollment is the existence of two nearby schools. He added that efforts are being made to increase student enrollment at the school.