Improving learning outcomes

John Richards with Bluebell students March 2024

BHP’s director John Richards and adviser Shahidul Islam recently wrote an editorial for Dhaka’s leading English-language newspaper. In “Education for most Indians is still a ‘bust.' What about Bangladesh?”, they write, “The first step in improving schools in India – and other South Asian countries – is to acknowledge the severity of the problem…. We understand that a one-size-fits-all approach will fail. As such, whichever approaches are taken, community leaders and other stakeholders need to agree on one non-negotiable agenda: improving learning outcomes…. The purpose of evaluation and assessment is not to compare one school with another. Instead, evaluations should aim for knowledge mobilisation and policy advocacy at every level, while keeping all stakeholders informed.” You can read about recent evaluations of Bluebell and OIST students’ performance in earlier blog posts. Both groups performed better than most local schools, and we are hoping to improve further.

Professional training for better futures

Rural women and children stay behind when male relatives leave for work elsewhere

Oasis Institute for Science and Technology (OIST) is based in Rangpur Division in the north-west of Bangladesh. With a population around 18 million, Rangpur is the poorest of seven divisions in Bangladesh with the highest incidence of extreme poverty. Balagram, the village where OIST is located located, is a so-called “monga” zone, a Bengali term referring to a cyclical phenomenon of poverty and hunger. It occurs twice each year, from September to November (after the first rice crop is planted) and from March to April (following the second planting). These natural phenomena lead to fewer local jobs, resulting in rural workers migrating for work; those who cannot migrate may face food inadequacy and malnutrition.

His younger brothers attend Bluebell School, but the eldest must work.

During community dialogues in Balagram, local residents have told us that higher education opportunities are very scarce in the area, creating a barrier for advancement even for capable high school graduates. OIST offers students training for high-demand jobs in civil and computer technologies. Our first batch of students performed well in recent national exams and is about to enter their third year of training. As their studies progress, students need new learning tools to practice their technical skills.  We rely on donor contributions to purchase learning tools and equipment for the civil engineering and computer technologies programs. If you would like to support development of these training resources,  please visit our BHP donations page or contact us directly.

New teachers at Bluebell School

Rabiul Islam, OFP founder, writes, “Bluebell’s education and educational materials are provided completely free, with a team of seven dedicated teachers delivering the classes as well as extra-curricular activities. In order to strengthen students’ basic literacy and math skills, three experienced female teachers have recently joined the teaching team.” The BHP website will profile the new teachers individually in upcoming blog posts.

One of the new teachers, Sree Kajaly says, “We have learned that education is the backbone of a nation. No nation can progress without good education of the younger generation. Education also inspires humanity, which is why the teaching profession attracts me so much.”   If the Bluebell teachers’ dedication also inspires you, would you please consider supporting the school with a donation?