DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS IN FEMALE SECONDARY EDUCATION IN BANGLADESH: PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS

Often I had a dream that in a sunny morning in a rural area of Bangladesh, some teenage girls are crossing the way to school with blue color school dress and shiny faces … Now the dream almost come into true … and I believe this is the beginning of our new days. It is obvious that educating girls is a major challenge for the development of a country like Bangladesh. Although enrollment of the girls in primary school is more or less satisfactory, but there are still lot of obstacles in secondary level for various socio-economic factors. To overcome the obstacles, involvement of International Development Partners is very crucial. This Paper examines the status of female education in secondary level and impact of Female Secondary Education Projects, which were undertaken by the Government of Bangladesh with the assistance of the International Development Partners. Nationwide and project level data on student enrollment have been analyzed along with brief description of the projects. It is evident that significant positive results have been achieved from the female education program in Bangladesh. This study especially focuses on the stipend program for the female secondary students and how far it is helpful compared to the economic condition of a rural family of Bangladesh