How we can improve the quality of education in Bangladesh’s madrasas

Despite tremendous success in increasing girls’ access to schools in Bangladesh, including madrasas, 76 percent of girls in madrasas drop out before completing grade 12. Only 2-3 percent of girls attending madrasas will join the workforce. The poor quality of education, especially for the 1.5 million girls attending madrasas in the country, is a big concern with serious implications for the likelihood of a girl’s ability to complete a full course of education and to contribute to the national economy.

To improve the quality of girls’ education in madrasas, I have identified two paths of action that should be prioritized by girls’ education actors in Bangladesh over the next five years. The first plan aims to train all teachers in secondary Aliya madrasas in Bangladesh in English and social science teaching methodologies. The second plan aims to establish a functioning girls’ club in every Aliya madrasa in order to provide a space in which girls can gain soft skills training.

Read the paper here.