Over 50pc students face wide learning gap

A medium to high learning gap has emerged among the students of all grades in the country due to the Covid-19. Over 50 per cent of eighth graders and a significant portion of other graders have been suffering from this loss in Bangla, English and mathematics, reveals a government research report.

The study report, prepared by Bangladesh Examination Development Unit (BEDU), also recommended a few steps including taking extra classes to address this learning gap.

Due to the Covid pandemic, in-person classes at the educational institutions were closed in Bangladesh for almost 18 months from March 2020. Though the authorities tried to take classes over radio, television and online, not all the students from all areas could take part equally.

In this context, the education ministry took a step to ascertain the learning gap and the study was done though BEDU.

The research says the learning gap has emerged in Bangla, English and mathematics among the students who were eighth graders in 2021. These students now study in class IX and would take SSC exams in 2024.

The government has already announced the SSC exams in 2023 will be held in a shortened syllabus. That’s why the study was done considering the students who would sit for SSC exams in 2024 so that remedial action could be taken.

BEDU works in coordination with the Dhaka education board.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, chairman of Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Dhaka, Tapan Kumar Sarker on Thursday said they have submitted the report to the ministry.

The research was done on 14,000 students and 6,000 teachers chosen through random sampling. The students took online exams on the three subjects while opinions of the teachers were taken on learning gap.

The gap has been classified into three categories – low, medium and high. Failure to answer to 60 per cent of question in the online exam was considered as high learning gap while 50-59 per cent was categorised as medium.

According to the research report, in Bangla, 31 per cent students have medium learning gap while 24 per cent have high learning gap and 25 per cent students have low learning gap. In English, the percentage is 38, 18 and 20 per cent respectively. In mathematics, 14 per cent students have medium learning gap, 39 per cent have high learning gap and 16 per cent have low learning gap.

Most of the worst performers in all three subjects are from Sylhet and Chattogram divisions. The rate is lowest in Khulna and Rangpur divisions. In Rangamati and Khagrachhari, 70-90 per cent students were found to have high learning gap.

There was no gender wise major difference in learning gap but the gap was huge in terms of students from towns and villages. The rate of students with high learning gap in Bangla, English and mathematics in towns was 36 per cent at the highest and 43 per cent in villages. Most of the students with high learning gap are from hill, coastal, char and haor areas while the percentage is lesser among the students from plain land.

The report further said the madrasah students have more learning gap than the students of other type of schools.

It recommended taking additional classes, having classes on television, online classes and other steps to address the learning gap.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, professor at the Institute of Education and Research (IER) of Dhaka University, M Tariq Ahsan said, special initiatives have to be taken alongside the proposals put forward in the research report to address the learning gap.

* The report, originally published in the print edition of Prothom Alo, has been rewritten by Shameem Reza