Time to Learn
Teachers' and students' use of time in government primary schools in Bangladesh
This study provides an empirical analysis of the use of and demands on teachers' and students' time, the factors affecting time use, and the impact on schooling and contact hours in Bangladesh's government primary schools.
Eight schools in two disadvantaged districts were studied using a hybrid approach of quantitative and qualitative methods, including teacher and student surveys, focus group discussions with teachers, parents, and community members, and interviews with education authorities, teachers' union leaders, School Management Committee (SMC) members, and head-teachers. Classroom observations were also conducted and visits were made to the homes of students.Students in Bangladesh's government primary schools receive very little contact time and even less classroom instruction time, both in comparison with international norms and with Government of Bangladesh standards. Schools may operate between 42 percent and 78 percent of the total scheduled days of operation. The number of contact hours as a proportion of scheduled contact hours for students in double-shift schools ranges between 27 percent (worst case for grades three through five) and 78 percent (best case for grades three through five). At best, students are receiving about half of the instructional time programmed and at worst less than one-fifth. In short, this study reveals that the government primary schools studied are simply not providing the education (question of quality aside) that is being financed by the government.