& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

Education Watch study on Bangladesh literacy

Questions you may ask
+ /s the sample size adequate for making national estimates of literacy rates?
+ Random sampling techniques allow making valid estimates for a large population from a small sample. Statistical experts have determined that over 13,000 people from 3,840 households in 268 communities provide an adequate sample. The sampling procedure has been explained in the report.
+ How have literacy skills been assessed?
In contrast to "self-reporting about who can read and write in a household reported by a household member - used often in literacy surveys - the study administered a specially designed test on 3Rs and their use to the total sample.
+ Why were 11+ and 15+ age-groups considered?
Usually the 15+ age-group is considered for adult literacy measurement. In Bangladesh, primary education, the main means of acquiring literacy, is expected to be completed by age 10; therefore, 11+ age-group has been taken for literacy assessment. The 15+ literacy rate was found to be 2.6 percent lower that that for the 11+ population.
+Why were the four levels of skills measured?
Literacy experts are of the view that there are degrees of skills in literacy and a strict dichotomous measure is misleading. Four levels of skills allowed better differentiation ofliteracy skills of the population.
+Why were the semi-literates not included in the category of the literates?
According to the definition used in the study, semi-literates can recognise a few words, but cannot read full sentences and cannot recognise or use written numbers. The definition of literacy could not be applied to this group.
+ What is the difference between "initial" and "advanced" literacy?
+ The ability to read and write simple sentences and count at a simple level, the usual definition of literacy, described in this study as initial literacy, does not allow one access to the world of knowledge and information, without further assistance to improve one's literacy skills. Advanced literacy is the stage in which one can use literacy skills independently for further learning.
+ How have the quality of data and their analysis have been ensured?
+ Elaborate procedures of quality check, re-testing, supervision and statistical tests have been used to maintain quality of the research process. The details are given in the report.
+ Can the present findings be used as the baseline
for national literacy rates?
+The findings based on nationwide sampling and scientific analysis should serve as the baseline against which future progress can be measured. No baseline statistics with adequate explanation about how the estimates have been arrived at do not exist at present.
+ How consistent are the present findings with other study findings?
+ Results based on sampling of households in Education Watch 2001, other recent household surveys concluded by Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics or with its involvement, the trend of progress shown by census data since 1981 indicate that the adult literacy percentage is in the 40s. The result of 2001 census has not been made public, but is unofficially reported to be consistent with this trend.
+ What would be the literacy rate if only reading and writing skills are considered?
+ The rate for the 11+ population would be 45 percent - 3.6 percent higher that when counting and application of skills are included.
+ What has been found about TLM in the study?
+The study was not about TLM, but about the literacy situation as a whole. The incidental findings about TLM were the following:
+ The literacy rate among those who did not attend primary school or other education programmes and relied exclusively on the TLM course is only 1.3 percent.
+-The literacy rate in the villages included in TLM was 42.1 percent against 40.6 percent in other villages.
+-The literacy rate of the 11-45 age-group - the priority group for TLM - is 47.4 percent in TLM communities; the national rate for the age-group is 46.2 percent - not a statistically significant difference.
+ What has been learned about primary education from the study?
+ The study was not specifically about primary education. However, it was found that:
+-Primary schools are the principal means of acquiring literacy for the population. Only a small fraction of one percent acquired literacy through non-school means.
+- However, one-third of the children after completing 5 years in a formal primary school or madrassa remained illiterate.
+-In NGO-run nonformal primary schools, almost all (97 percent) became literate after 4-5 years of schooling.