141453- Project Final Copy.docx

OVERCOMING THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL BARRIERS IN EDUCATION AT SECONDARY LEVEL IN KOYRA UPAZILA

RIASAT ALI

BACHELOR OF ARTS ENGLISH DISCIPLINE KHULNA UNIVERSITY

MAY 2018

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OVERCOMING THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL BARRIERS IN EDUCATION AT SECONDARY LEVEL IN KOYRA UPAZILA

RIASAT ALI

PROJECT SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF BA (HONS) IN ENGLISH

May 2018

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DEDICATED TO MY PARENTS

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APPROVAL

The research paper titled “Overcoming the Socio-economic and Cultural Barriers in Education at Secondary Level in Koyra Upazila” by Riasat Ali, Student ID- 141453, submitted in partial fulfilment of the degree of BA (Hons) has been found satisfactory as to style, format and content.

..……………………………………... Supervisor Dr. Md. Shahjahan Kabir Associate Professor English Discipline Khulna University, Khulna

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The Project Committee comprises the following members:

1. Dr. Md. Shahjahan Kabir

2. Sk Abdullah al Mamun

Associate Professor

Associate Professor

English Discipline

English Discipline

Khulna University

Khulna University

3. Professor Dr. Ahmed Ahsanuzzaman Head English Discipline Khulna University

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Name of the Student: Riasat Ali

ID- 141453

Discipline email address: [email protected] Student’s email address: [email protected]

I declare that this thesis has solely been composed by myself and that it has not been submitted, in whole or in part, in any previous application for a degree. Except where states otherwise by reference or acknowledgement, the work presented is entirely my own. I am well aware of the university’s policy on plagiarism, and I submit to the punitive measures to be taken against me if I commit copyright infringement of any sort, knowingly or unknowingly.

…………………………………………… Signature of the Student

……………………………. Date

Faculty Approval

Signature (Supervisor)…………………………………………

Date…………………

Dr. Md. Shahjahan Kabir Signature (Internal Member) ………………………………….

Date…………………

Sk Abdullah al Mamun Head Signature……………………………………………… Professor Dr. Ahmed Ahsanuzzaman

Date…………………

vi Abstract The students of Koyra Upazila are facing a number of barriers in education. The social system and the economic condition create the socio-economic barriers and the customs and cultural beliefs are the causes of cultural barriers. Poverty is the main barrier for them and it compels them to involve in child labour. Because of poverty some other barriers like transport problem and child labour are created. Among the cultural barriers, superstition, lack of motivation, early marriage, the unwillingness of the parents and the bad companies of the students are notable. Most of the students cannot overcome these barriers and consequently drop out at an early age. Some steps, such as poverty alleviation program by the government, motivating the students, strict law, giving reward etc., can be taken from the individual level to national level to help the students overcome these barriers. Everyone will have to come forward to overcome the barriers and increase the literacy rate of this area.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

At first, a lot of appreciation to Almighty Allah whose help and kindness have assisted me to complete this project. Then, I wish to express my deepest gratitude appreciation to my respected research supervisor, Dr. Md. Shahjahan Kabir, Associate Professor, English Discipline, Khulna University, for his dedication, genius attitude, continuous revision and scrutiny, relentless guidance, and crucial suggestions. I am also truly gratified to Sk Abdullah al Mamun, Associate Professor at English Discipline, Khulna University for his useful correction, and guidance. I cannot but mention my gratitude to my parents who encourage me constantly. I am also thankful to my classmates for their support and inspiration. I am also grateful to the seminar library of English Discipline where I have got some of my research materials. I am especially thankful to Google. Google has made my research much easier because it has given me access to get relevant research works, articles, books, journals etc.

Riasat Ali Student ID. 141453 English Discipline Khulna University

viii TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION…………………………………………...………01-10 1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY……………………………………….....01 1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM…………………………………….…...02 1.3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS…………………………………………………..03 1.4 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY……………………………………………..03 1.4.1 GENERAL OBJECTIVE…………………………………….….….03 1.4.2 SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES…………………………………………..03 1.5 LITERATURE REVIEW………………………….….……………………...03 1.6 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK……………………………………….…...08 1.7 RATIONALE……….….………………………………………………….....09 1.8 TIMELINE…………………………………………………………………...09 1.9 SCOPES AND LIMITATIONS……………………………………………...10

CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY…………………………………………………11-13 2.1 SELECTION OF THE STUDY AREA……………………………………..11 2.2 POPULATION OF THE STUDY…………………………………………...11 2.3 SAMPLING TECHNIQUES………………………………………………...11 2.4 DETERMINATION OF SAMPLE SIZE……………………………………11 2.5 DATA COLLECTION………………………………………………………11 2.6 SOURCES OF DATA……………………………………………………….12 2.6.1 PRIMARY DATA COLLECTION.……………………………….12 2.6.2 SECONDARY DATA COLLECTION……………………………12 2.7 QUESTIONNAIRE PREPARATION……………………………………….12

ix 2.8 DATA PROCESSING……………………………………………………….12 2.8.1 DATA COMPILATION…………………………………………...13 2.8.2 DATA EDITING………………………………………………......13 2.9 DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION…………………………….13

CHAPTER 3: DISCUSSION…………………………………………………….…14-32 3.1 INFORMATION OF THE STUDENTS…………………………………….14 3.2 RESULTS AND FINDINGS………………………………………………...30

CHAPTER 4: RECOMMENDATION AND CONCLUSION…………………...33-35 4.1 RECOMMENDATIONS……….……………………………………………34 4.2 CONCLUSION………………………………………………………………36

REFERENCES………………………………………………………………………….36 APPENDIX……………………………………………………………………………...38

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CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Education is one of the fundamental rights of a human being. As a citizen of a democratic country like Bangladesh, everybody has the right to have the same opportunity in receiving education. But we all know that the students of rural areas do not get the same opportunity as the students of urban areas get. The rural areas of Bangladesh like Koyra Upazila in Khulna District which is in the southern part of the country are not so much developed. There are not sufficient schools in proportionate to the population of this area. The literacy rate is very low here because the students have to face so many barriers in education. Social and cultural beliefs of the inhabitants and the economic condition of the people are the main reasons behind the lower literacy rate. The students have to face a number of barriers in the field of education. Among them socio-economic and cultural barriers mainly impact on education. They grow up here and are habituated with their surroundings. They do not get proper advice so they cannot have a firm faith to be highly educated. As a result, the students cannot gather motivation and lots of students drop out every year at a very early age and thus the literacy rate is not increasing. 1.1 Background of the Study I was born in Koyra Upazila. I passed my childhood there till 2010. After passing my SSC examination from there, at the age of 16, I came to Khulna for my study. When I was there, I could not realize the barriers that I faced in education. After staying about one year in Khulna, I very often used to think about my birthplace and tried to compare between a rural student and an urban student as I experienced both the situations. I could realize why the literacy rate of this area was very low. From then I cherished a desire to work on this issue. In 2014, I got admitted to English Discipline and came to know that we had to complete a

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project at the end of the four-year course. At that time, I was thrilled thinking my desire would fulfill here. Now, in 4th year 2nd term, when I was asked to submit a proposal for my project, I selected the topic. It was a dream fulfilling moment as I would be able to find out the barriers that the rural students face in education but cannot identify that these are actually barriers in their education and hence they cannot go a long way. I think this project will play a significant role to increase the literacy rate in this area. 1.2 Statement of the Problem Koyra Upazila, in Khulna District, is in the southern part of Bangladesh. Most of the people are farmers as it is mainly an agriculture-based region. Some inhabitants are fishermen and go to the Sundarbans and the nearby rivers to catch fishes. There are also day labourers and they live from hand to mouth working in other people’s house who are comparatively affluent. Some people go to the bricks factory in different areas in the country and work there for months. Majority of the people are poor. They cannot earn their livelihood properly and sometimes they have to starve. They cannot spend for their food let alone the children’s educational expenses. There is hardly any expense in primary education. But when the children need much money from the secondary level, the parents cannot provide the financial support and the students have to drop out. So, poverty is the main barrier here in education. Apart from this, superstition, lack of interest in education, unwillingness of the parents as well as the students, demotivation from others, child labour and early marriage are found. The aged people are illiterate and instead of encouraging the students, they do the opposite. Some parents are very much eager to marry their daughters off at an early age. The girls lose their interest to study after their marriage. The parents compel their sons to earn money at a very early age. The children face these issues from their childhood and thus they get mentally demotivated. For these kinds of socio-cultural and economic barriers, the students cannot go a long way in education.

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1.3 Research Questions  What are the socio-economic barriers in education for the rural students?  What are the cultural barriers in education in the rural areas?  How can these barriers be overcome? 1.4 Objectives of the Study 1.4.1

General Objective

 To find out the existing socio-economic and cultural barriers in education in the rural areas like Koyra Upazila. 1.4.2

Specific Objective

The specific objectives of this research are to help the students realize about the barriers that they cannot identify  to encourage the students to overcome the barriers  to draw the attention of the government and non-government organizations  to give suggestions of overcoming the barriers 1.5 Literature Review The area of Koyra Upazila is 1775.41 square kilometers and the total population of this Upazilla are 1,92,534 (Malek, 2015, p. 21). It is the second largest Upazila of Bangladesh. Malek has also given some statistical data about the literacy rate and the professions of the inhabitants. The average literacy rate is 32.4%, that is comparatively lower than most of the areas of Bangladesh. Here, the respective literacy rate of male and female is 43.6% and 21.4%. The females are more neglected than the males. The main sources of income of the inhabitants are: agriculture 66.64%, non-agricultural labourer 7.12%, industry 0.51%, commerce 12.66%, transport and communication 1.85%, service 3.54%, construction 1.31%, religious service 0.31%, rent and remittance 0.09% and others 5.97% (p. 45). From the

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information it is seen that the majority of the people are poor and this poverty may impact on education. Verngren (2016) suggests that “social and cultural barriers are additional obstacles which severely limit access to education for vulnerable children. Such barriers entail poverty and inequalities in age, gender, class, ethnicity, orphan-status and geographical location” (p. 35). According to him, some social factors limit the children’s access to education such as poverty and high risk populations, culture and gender, ethnicity, family and health. Culture plays a vital role in the access to education. For the socio-cultural barriers children dropout at an early age. Watkins (2000) has identified several barriers that keep away the children from going to school. He has found poverty as the most influential barrier in children’s education. He finds poverty existing in both national level and household level. According to Watkins (2000), At a national level, low average incomes limit the financing capacity of governments, and their ability to provide their citizens with access to good-quality education. At the household level, poverty means that parents may be unable to afford the costs of sending their children to school, or unable to dispense with the labour provided by their children. It may also reinforce gender-based inequalities within the household. (p. 171). Not only poverty but also some other factors operate here. Watkins quotes, “Inability to pay is a common factor. The quality and perceived relevance of the education provided are also important, as are factors such as distance from school, child security, and social and cultural attitudes” (p. 172). The residence of the students being distant from the school affects the girls’ education as he states “In most societies, distance from school is inversely related to the prospects of girls going to school, especially after puberty” (p. 193).

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Noorani (2002) researches on girls’ education and categorizes the barriers into three major areas: Household/Community level barriers that include direct cost of schooling and indirect cost of schooling, attitudes and practices, and situations of crisis and instability; School Level Barriers that include no school close to home, poor quality environment, poor quality contents, and conflict and instability; and Policy- and System-Level Barriers that include inadequate legal framework, lack of enforcement of existing laws and policies, insufficient national budgetary allocations to primary and secondary education, isolation of education from existing national frameworks, outdated curriculum, lack of completion and transition to next stage of education and lack of political will. Qureshi (2004) illustrates that there are many barriers related with girls’ education. She states, Both demand and supply factors act as barriers to the girl ’s education. On the demand side, poverty, parent’s education, gender discrimination and distance from school are the major barriers for enrolment, attendance and retention in schools. On the supply side, shortage of girls’ schools, shortage or absence of female teachers, and poor quality of teaching are major obstacles to girl’s education. (p. 51). These factors limit the access of girls to education sector and contribute to the lower literacy rate of girls. Other factors are related with security issues for the girls like poor roads, limited transportation, unsafe travelling and restricted movement of girls to education sector. A recent study (Lambert, Perrino, Barreras, 2012) identifies some major barriers in female education such as “poverty, the most overriding widespread obstacle to higher female education in Ghana” (p. 6), “harassment and discrimination, both from male peers and from teachers, is a problem for female students. Discrimination from teachers is common in the

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classroom” (p. 9). Cultural mindset is also a great problem for the female students as they write, The most complex and important factor to look at when studying female education is the cultural mindset surrounding female education. Men have a sense of entitlement and superiority, while many women lack self-esteem or believe that they can accomplish much. Nowhere does this mentality come out more strongly than in the educational system. (p. 12). They conclude that poverty, harassment, and a cultural mindset against female education are the largest problems faced by the female students. Transportation problem, proper sanitation, teenage pregnancy, and early marriage are also some other minor problems. (pp. 14-15). Justino (2014) in his research paper “Barriers to Education in Conflict-Affected Countries and Policy Opportunities” has distinguished barriers in conflict-affected countries into two categories: supply-side barriers and demand-side barriers. Destruction of infrastructure and resources, displacement, and distributional effects are under supply-side barriers whereas poverty, adverse health shocks, returns to education, recruitment of children, fear and insecurity fall under the demand-side barriers. Atayi (2008) has identified teenage pregnancy as a barrier to female education. In some countries like Uganda, there is early marriage. Because of early marriage girls become pregnant at a very early age and this contributes much to drop out from the school. He says “…these pregnant teenagers usually drop out of school either by themselves or the school forces them to, while others are forced into early marriage. This adds to the vicious cycle of maternal illiteracy – diminishing the chance of daughters’ schooling” (p. 3). Kola (2014) focuses on socio-economic and socio-cultural barriers on female education in Nigeria. He has found poverty as the major socio-economic barrier to female

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education and said that this barrier reduced the number of female students in schools. He states, “There are some cultural practices that affect female education such as girl initiation, religion and early marriages” (p. 73). The number of female students is decreasing because of some socio-economic barriers such as poverty and parental perception and some sociocultural barriers such as girl initiation, early marriage and religious view. Grech (2014) has commented that education is one of the fundamental rights of a human being but the facilities are not same for the students of rural areas comparing with the students of urban area. The rural students as well as the disabled students do not get the proper taste of education because they have to face some specific economic, physical and social barriers. He identified some economic and social barriers in education such as ‘geographical isolation and no schools in distant areas’, ‘poor infrastructure’, ‘extreme weather conditions and transportation problems’, ‘lack of running water, sanitation and electricity’, ‘overcrowded schools and poor quality education’, ‘the need for the labour of children at key stages of the agriculture cycle’, ‘costs of schooling’, ‘language and cultural barriers’, ‘few or no concessions by employers’ (pp. 8-11). He also identified some disabilityspecific barriers to education such as ‘long periods of hospitalization’, ‘invisibility of disabled people from public spaces’, ‘direct and indirect costs’, ‘architectural and training barriers- non-inclusive schools’, ‘problematic attitudes’, ‘protection by parents’, ‘unavailable or erratically available accompanying family members’, ‘public transport barriers and costs’ and ‘inadequate medicalization, pain and lack or absence of adapted assistive devices’ (pp. 11-14).

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1.6 Theoretical Framework This project is done based on the “Sociocultural Theory” by Lev Semenovich Vygotsky. Sociocultural theory is basically a psychological theory that focuses on the important aspects that the society or culture impacts on individual development. The culture in which they live is the controller of the developing individuals. This theory emphasizes on the fact that human learning is largely a social process. The society in which the learners live sets the limit of his or her individual development. Not only the society but also parents, caregivers, companions, and the culture are responsible for developing their individual self. Sociocultural theory focuses not only on how the elder people and friends influence individual learning but also on how cultural beliefs and attitudes impact on their learning behavior. Vygotsky (1978) says, Every function in the child’s cultural development appears twice: first, on the social level, and later, on the individual level; first, between people (interpsychological) and then inside the child (intrapsychological). This applies equally to voluntary attention, to logical memory, and to the formation of concepts. All the higher functions originate as actual relationships between individuals. (p. 57). So, I have found that learners’ mentality develops according to their surroundings. The social and cultural setting which they have been observing from their childhood obviously impacts on their individual development. The rural students have been habituated with the situation of their surroundings. So, later when they appear on the same situation they do the same thing. Thus the same scenario continues. This theory is applied to this project because the students are growing up in the same culture as their elders. They see their behavior and attitude and thus their mentality about education grows according to the culture.

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1.7 Rationale of the Study Proper education helps a man to observe the social system deeply. It is the students who become the observers of the society. But most of the rural students cannot achieve this position because they cannot overcome all the related barriers in education and they cannot be highly educated persons. The students will have to overcome the barriers at first. For this, they will have to be encouraged and motivated as well as they will have to be given economic support to help them overcome the barriers. This research paper will help the students know about the barriers and will get motivation. The teachers can be more careful to the students and the parents of the students can be more aware of their children. If these happen, the society and the country will be benefitted.

1.8 Timeline The time frame of my research work is given below: Serial

Week

Task

1.

First

Reading for basic information

2.

Second

Meeting with supervisor and making an outline

3.

Third

Reading for data collection

4.

Fourth

Continuing reading for data collection

5.

Fifth

Analyzing data

6.

Sixth

Meeting with supervisor for further discussion

7.

Seventh

Rearranging data

8.

Eighth

Writing draft

9.

Ninth

Meeting with supervisor and correcting mistakes

10.

Tenth

Rewriting the draft after correcting the mistakes

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11.

Eleventh

Rereading the project paper for further development

12.

Twelfth

Meeting with supervisor for final correction and approval of the project

13.

Thirteenth

Final submission

1.9 Scope and Limitations There are obviously some limitations in my research. Since it is a part of our syllabus, it is not possible to do a perfect research as it has to be done with other academic activities and examinations within a limited time. As I have to finish this research along with other courses, there is time limitation. Survey based research needs more time, labour and money. If I could get enough time, I would collect more information and that would be a valid generalization to the population. Money is essential to conduct a survey. It could have been helpful if I had received some financial support from the university. Moreover, as my research mainly depends on survey, sometimes it is very difficult to with the respondents. I have found many respondents reluctant to provide answers of the questionnaire. If I could overcome these limitations, I could do a better research on this field. The scope of this research field is vast but the limitations have shrunk the scope of this research paper. If any researcher intends to do MPhil or PhD research under this field, it will be a very convenient field for him/her.

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CHAPTER 2 METHODOLOGY This research is an exploratory research. The purpose of this research is to explore the socio-economic and cultural barriers in education at secondary level in Koyra Upazila and to give suggestions to overcome those barriers. I have mainly depended on primary data. 2.1 Selection of the Study Area For the purpose of this research I have selected four secondary schools from Koyra Upazila. All the schools are non-government school. 2.2 Population (Respondents) of the Study The population of this research are the students of these schools. 2.3 Sampling Techniques It is quite impossible to collect data within a very short time from all the students of the schools of Koyra Upazila. Considering the available time and to obtain accurate data, I have used random sampling. 2.4 Determination of Sample Size In this research I have selected 100 samples randomly. Sample comprises 50 boys and 50 girls. I have selected 25 students from each school. 2.5 Data Collection The main instrument used to obtain data is a written questionnaire supplied to the students. The questionnaire includes close ended questions considering the proficiency level of the students. I have designed the questionnaire to extract real barriers that the students are

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facing unconsciously. For the purpose of my research, I have also talked to the students and have taken necessary notes so that my objective of the research fulfills. 2.6 Sources of Data Both primary and secondary sources of data have been used for the sake of this research. 2.6.1

Primary Data Collection

This research is mainly based on primary data. Here, primary data have been collected through questionnaire. Data are collected from 4 secondary schools of Koyra Upazila: Dakshin Bedkashi Secondary School, Dakshin Bedkashi Secondary Girls’ School, Kapotaksho Secondary School and Shakbariya High School. The data collection process has been done on March, 2018. 2.6.2

Secondary Data Collection

For secondary data, I have taken help from many books, reports, articles, newspapers, journals and other research papers related to educational barriers for the relevant information of the research. 2.7 Questionnaire Preparation A clear and structured questionnaire has been prepared considering the social system and the economic condition of the population of Koyra Upazila. 2.8 Data Processing After collecting all the required data, the following two steps have been taken to extract the findings of the study: i.

Data compilation

ii.

Data editing

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Data Compilation

The collected data have been grouped, categorized and finally compiled systematically according to the objective of the research. 2.8.2

Data Editing

The collected data have been edited to eliminate the possible errors and omissions. Collected data have also been coded and classified carefully for better analysis. 2.9 Data Analysis and Interpretation After processing collected data and information I have organized, explained, interpreted and analyzed with the help of different planning and statistical tools and techniques. I have computerized the data using Microsoft Word and Excel. The data have been analyzed according to the objective of the research. The analysis is presented through various tables and charts.

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CHAPTER 3 DISCUSSION 3.1 Information of the Students of Secondary Level at Koyra Upazila Here, I have discussed the information that has been collected through questionnaire from the students from various schools. The total 100 respondents are from four schools. Question 1: Do you have any private tutor? The information taken from the students is presented in the following table. Total

Response

Respondents 100

Particular Number of Particular

Number

of Combined

Respondents (Boys)

Respondents (Girls)

Percentage

Yes

3

4

7%

No

47

46

93%

Table 1: Information about the students’ having private tutor 7% students, 3 boys and 4 girls, have said that they have private tutors. On the other hand, 93% students, among whom 47 respondents are boys and 46 are girls, have said that they do not have any private tutor. This information is presented through pie chart.

Figure 1: Information about the students’ having private tutor 7%

Yes No

93%

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Question 2: Do you face financial problem while buying your books or any other educational materials? The information taken from the students is presented in the following table. Total

Response Particular Number of Particular

Respondents 100

Number

of Combined

Respondents (Boys)

Respondents (Girls)

Percentage

Yes

43

25

68%

No

7

25

32%

Table 2: Information about the students’ facing financial problem in buying educational materials 68% students, 43 boys and 25 girls, said that they face financial problem while they buy various educational materials and 32% students, 7 boys and 25 girls, said that they do not face such kind of problem. This information is presented through pie chart.

Figure 2: Information about the students’ facing financial problem in buying educational materials Yes No

32%

68%

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Question 3: Do your parents face difficulty in maintaining your (including your siblings) educational expenses? The information taken from the students is presented in the following table. Total

Response Particular Number of Particular Number of Combined

Respondents 100

Respondents (Boys)

Respondents (Girls)

Percentage

Yes

44

25

69%

No

6

25

31%

Table 3: Information about the difficulty faced by the students’ parents 69% students among whom 44 respondents are boys and 25 respondents are girls said that their parents face difficulty in maintaining their (including their siblings) educational expenses and 31% students, 6 boys and 25 girls, said that their parents do not face this kind of difficulty. The total result is presented through pie chart.

Figure 3: Information about the difficulty faced by the students’ parents Yes No 31%

69%

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Question 4: Have you ever heard “Nothing will happen being educated because at present getting a job is not too easy” from anyone? The information taken from the students is presented in the following table. Total

Response Particular Number of Particular Number of Combined

Respondents 100

Respondents (Boys)

Respondents (Girls)

Percentage

Yes

38

40

78%

No

12

10

22%

Table 4: Information about the demotivation from other people 38 boys and 40 girls who constitute 78% respondents have said that they have heard this kind of demotivational speech from other people and 22% students, 12 boys and 10 girls, have said that they have not heard such speech from others yet. This information is presented through pie chart.

Figure 4: Information about the demotivation from other people Yes 22% No

78%

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Question 5: “You should not go for higher education as you have to work finally in your husband’s house.” Do the illiterate people say this to the girls? The information taken from the students is presented in the following table. Total

Response Particular Number of Particular Number of Combined

Respondents 100

Respondents (Boys)

Respondents (Girls)

Percentage

Yes

48

47

95%

No

2

3

5%

Table 5: Information about the superstition among the illiterate people 95% students among whom 48 respondents are boys and 47 respondents are girls have said that they have heard saying this kind of superstitious speech from other illiterate people and 5% students, 2 boys and 3 girls have said that they have not heard such speech from others. This information is presented through pie chart.

Figure 5:Information about the superstition among the illiterate people Yes No 5%

95%

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Question 6: Have your parents ever told you to earn money? The information taken from the students is presented in the following table. Total

Response Particular Number of Particular

Respondents 100

Number

of Combined

Respondents (Boys)

Respondents (Girls)

Percentage

Yes

23

1

24%

No

27

49

76%

Table 6: Information about the parents’ unwillingness 24% students, 23 boys and 1 girl, have agreed that their parents have told them to earn money and 76% students, 27 boys and 49 girls, have responded saying that their parents have not told them to earn money. The final response is presented through pie chart.

Figure 6:Information about the parents' unwillingness Yes 24%

76%

No

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Question 7: Have you attended on any motivational program on education such as seminar or any other special class? The information taken from the students is presented in the following table. Total

Response Particular Number of Particular Number of Combined

Respondents 100

Respondents (Boys)

Respondents (Girls)

Percentage

Yes

25

15

40%

No

25

35

60%

Table 7: Information about the students’ engagement in motivational classes on education 40% students, 25 boys and 15 girls, have responded that they have attended on such classes or programs and 60% students among whom 25 are boys and the rest 35 are girls have told that they have not attended. This information is presented through pie chart.

Figure 7: Information about the students’ engagement in motivational classes on education Yes No 40%

60%

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Question 8: Do your non-school friends tell you not to go to school and to play with them? The information taken from the students is presented in the following table. Total

Response Particular Number of Particular Number of Combined

Respondents 100

Respondents (Boys)

Respondents (Girls)

Percentage

Yes

32

0

32%

No

18

50

68%

Table 8: Information about the bad impact of the students’ company 32% students, all are boys, have agreed that their non-school friends tell them not to go to school and to play with them. On the contrary, 68% students, 18 boys and 50 girls, have told that they are free from these kind of friends. This information is presented through pie chart.

Figure 8: Information about the bad impact of the students' company Yes 32%

68%

No

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Question 9: Do you think study is painful than earning money as you can move freely if you do not come to school? The information taken from the students is presented in the following table. Total

Response Particular Number of Particular Number of Combined

Respondents 100

Respondents (Boys)

Respondents (Girls)

Percentage

Yes

13

0

13%

No

37

50

87%

Table 9: Information of the students’ willingness about receiving higher education 13% students that is 13 boys have answered that study is painful than earning money and the rest 87% students among whom 37 are boys and 50 respondents are girls have chosen that study is better. The following pie chart shows this information.

Figure 9: Information of the students’ willingness about receiving higher education Yes 13%

87%

No

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Question 10: How many high schools is/are there in your union? The information taken from the students is presented in the following table. Total Respondents

100

Response

Particular Number of Respondents

Percentage

Only one

52

52%

Two

28

28%

Three

20

20%

More than three

0

0%

Table 10: Information about the number of schools in a union 52% students have told that there is only one high school in their union, 28% students have responded that there are two high schools in their union and 20% students tell that they have three high schools in their union but no student tells having more than three high schools in their union. The following bar chart shows this information.

Figure 10: Information about the number of schools in a union 0% 20%

52% 28%

Only one

Two

Three

More than three

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Question 11: Are the girls disturbed by the eve-teasers on the way to the school? The information taken from the students is presented in the following table. Total

Response Particular Number of Particular Number of Combined

Respondents 100

Respondents (Boys)

Respondents (Girls)

Percentage

Yes

24

26

50%

No

26

24

50%

Table 11: Information about eve-teasing Among the 100 respondents, 50% students, 24 boys and 26 girls, have told that the girls are teased on the way to the school and 50% students, 26 boys and 24 girls, have told that the girls are not disturbed at all by the eve-teasers. This information is presented through the pie chart.

Figure 11: Information about eve-teasing Yes No 50%

50%

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Question 12: Do you face transport problem? The information taken from the students is presented in the following table. Total

Response Particular Number of Particular Number of Combined

Respondents 100

Respondents (Boys)

Respondents (Girls)

Percentage

Yes

26

27

53%

No

24

23

47%

Table 12: Information about transport problem 53% students, 26 boys and 27 girls, have told that they face transport problem and 47% students among whom 24 respondents are boys and 23 are girls have told that they do not face this problem. The total result is shown through pie chart below.

Figure 15: Information about the early marriage of the girls

Yes No 47% 53%

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Question 13: How do you come to school?” The information taken from the students is presented in the following table. Total

Response

Respondents 100

Particular Number of Particular Number of Combined Respondents (Boys)

Respondents (Girls)

Percentage

On foot

46

49

95%

By transport

4

1

5%

Table 13: Information about the way of the students’ coming to the school 95% of the total students of which 46 are boys and 49 are girls have said that they come to the school on foot and the rest 5% students have told that they come to the school by transport. This information is presented through the following pie chart.

Figure 13: Information about the way of the students’ coming to the school

5%

95%

On foot

By transport

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Question 14: How much time do you need to arrive at the school? The information taken from the students is presented in the following table. Total Respondents

100

Response

Particular Number of Respondents

Percentage

Less than 10 minutes

13

13%

11-20 minutes

15

15%

21-30 minutes

10

10%

More than30 minutes

62

62%

Table 14: Information about time consuming of the students to arrive at the school 13% of the total respondents have told that they need less than 10 minutes, 15% students tell that they need 11-20 minutes, 10% students tell that they need 21-30 minutes and the rest 62% students have told that they need more than 30 minutes to arrive at the school. This information is presented through the following bar chart.

Figure 14: Information about time consuming of the students to arrive at the school 13% 15%

62%

Less than 10 minutes

10%

11-19 minutes

20-29 minutes

More than30 minutes

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Question 15: Have you seen girls in your locality being married off before going to college? The information taken from the students is presented in the following table. Total

Response Particular Number of Particular

Respondents 100

Number

of Combined

Respondents (Boys)

Respondents (Girls)

Percentage

Yes

47

46

93%

No

3

4

7%

Table 15: Information about the early marriage of the girls 93% students, 47 boys and 46 girls, have seen at least one girl being married off at an early age and 7% students, 3 boys and 4 girls, have told that they have not seen such an incident in their locality. This information is presented through pie chart.

Figure 15: Information about the early marriage of the girls

Yes

7%

No

93%

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Question 16: Have you got any marriage proposal yet? The information taken from the students is presented in the following table. Total

Response Particular Number of Particular Number of Combined

Respondents 100

Respondents (Boys)

Respondents (Girls)

Percentage

Yes

2

23

25%

No

48

27

75%

Table 16: Information about the respondents’ early marriage proposal Among 25% students who have told that they have got marriage proposal, 2 respondents are boys and 23 respondents are girls and the rest 75% students have told that they have not got yet among which 48 respondents are boys and 27 respondents are girls. The total result is shown in the following pie chart.

Figure 16: Information about the respondents’ early marriage proposal 25%

75%

Yes No

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3.2 Results and Findings Considering the responses of the students of secondary level students at Koyra Upazila, some socio-economic and cultural barriers are found that are prevailing in this area. These barriers are limiting the students’ scope to go to school and receive education and thus they are contributing to lower literacy rate in this area. The barriers that are found through questionnaire survey are mentioned here: 1. Poverty is a curse for any society and for a country in a broader sense. Poverty hindrances all the development activities. It is poverty that limits the students’ access to education. The people of Koyra Upazila are living under poverty line. The parents cannot manage a tutor for their children who can instruct and motivate them so that they can study instead of dropping out. The parents even cannot buy educational materials in time because of this poverty and sometimes it happens that they cannot manage all the children’s educational expenses and for that some of them have to drop out and the parents tell them to earn money to manage the family. Thus the children are engaged in child labour and do not go to school. 2. Motivation works magically to the children. If the children are motivated from their childhood, they can make up their mind accordingly. But the picture of this area is very alarming. Most of the people of this area illiterate. Instead of motivating the children, they demotivate them from the beginning. So, the result remains the same. They get demotivation from the elder people and thus lose their interest in receiving education. 3. In this postmodern era, there is still superstition in this area. The illiterate people are reluctant to educate the girls. They still think the girls should not be educated because the literate girls may oppose the husbands’ decisions. They do not want girls opposing their husbands’ decisions and for that they are reluctant to send the girls for higher education.

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4. The social system makes the parents as well as the students unwilling to receive education. This unwillingness becomes a great barrier in education. There is a proverb “Where there is a will there is a way”. If the students do not have the will, it is quite impossible for anyone to educate them. The parents see other children earning money and they also want their children to earn. They think completing education and getting a job is a lengthy process and thus they become unwilling to educate their children. 5. Bad company also impacts on the students’ education. The friends of the school going children who do not go to school inspire them not to go to school. These friends work as a barrier in their education. 6. Lack of schools is also another barrier in the education sector. It is true that a student loses his/her interest if he/she has to walk a long way to arrive at the school. In this area, there is not sufficient schools in proportionate with the number of students. The distance of the schools from the students’ residence plays a great role in their education. Because of poverty there are not enough schools established here. 7. Eve-teasing is also a social barrier here. The girls face this harassment outside the school. Sometimes they do not go to school because of eve-teasing. Eve-teasing hampers the girls’ education. 8. Transport problem is a great problem here. This issue also impacts on the children’s education. There are not enough vehicles available here because of the broken roads. The students have to walk a long way to go to the school. The number of students would increase if there were enough transport facilities. Many students leave schools because they do not feel interested to walk a long way to go for education. So, transport problem is a social barrier in education.

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9. Early marriage is one of the greatest cultural barriers in education here. Most of the girls are married off before 18 years old. The dreams of the girls shatter after their marriage. They cannot oppose because of the social and cultural setting. They grow up in such a society where their opinion has no value to others. They are like the dolls. They become victims of the superstition that girls should not be highly educated and they should marry as early as possible and serve the husband. Their education remains incomplete because of this early marriage.

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CHAPTER 4 RECOMMENDATION AND CONCLUSION 4.1 Recommendations 1. Willingness is the main factor in overcoming these barriers. If a student is provided all the opportunities but the student does not have the will to study, everything will be valueless. So, willingness is the major factor to overcome the barriers. 2. The literate people will have to play roles to help the students overcome the barriers. 3. Different government and non-government organizations will have to arrange motivational programs to motivate the students. 4. The people who believe in superstition will have to be persuaded that their belief is wrong. 5. The teachers can motivate the students more than others. 6. The successful students will have to be rewarded with alluring gifts so that the other students become interested more. 7. Incentive scholarship from government and non-government organizations can increase the interests of the students in education. 8. The roads of this area will have to be repaired and widened so that various vehicles can move easily. 9. Basic educational materials should be supplied free from the school in this area. This will diminish the financial pressure of the parents. 10. The school teachers may call for a monthly meeting of the guardians of the students to motivate them and advise to take care of their children. 11. Social welfare organizations can donate transport to the school for the students. 12. The parents will have to be awakened about the bad effect of early marriage.

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13. The law about early marriage and eve-teasing should be strict. 14. If it is possible to establish few schools, it will surely boost the students’ interest to go to nearby school. 15. The local wealthy people can play a major role in developing the facilities of the schools. 16. Poverty alleviation program should be undertaken by the government. 17. More research on this field can draw the attention of the authority. 18. Child labour should be forbidden so that the parents cannot engage the children in work instead of sending them to the school. 19. The government can provide financial support to this area and the most important thing is that the local leaders will have to be free from corruption. If these recommendations are considered positively, I think the illiteracy rate of Koyra Upazila will be reduced. 4.2 Conclusion Economy is the impetus of any region and in a broader sense of any country. Bangladesh is a developing country but the rural areas of Koyra Upazila are still underdeveloped. The people are living under poverty line here. They are leading their life with much hardship. Poverty hindrances all development processes. It is also the main economic barrier in education also. Where most of the people hardly can lead their life properly, that they will spend a lot of money for the educational purpose is totally unthinkable. Many students have to drop out at an early age because of this economic barrier. Poverty creates other social and cultural barriers also. Because of this poverty there is lack of schools, there is unwillingness of the parents, there is child labour and there is early marriage. Apart from these barriers there are also some other social and cultural barriers that the students face such as superstition, lack of motivation and eve-teasing. To overcome these barriers everyone will have to come forward.

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The students will have to have the willingness to overcome these barriers and to be educated. To help the students fulfill their desire, everyone from individual level to national level have to come forward. The government should try to provide financial support by supplying educational materials, different government and non-government organizations and the teachers may play a great role to motivate the students as well the guardians so that they can be interested in education.

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References Atayi, J. B. (2008). Disabling barriers to girls’ primary education in Arua district - An intersectional analysis (Masters Thesis, Institute of Social Studies, The Hague, The Netherlands). Retrieved from http://thesis.eur.nl/pub/7023/Atayi%20RLGC%202007-08.pdf Grech, S. (2014). Disability, poverty and education: Perceived barriers and (dis)connections in rural Guatemala. Disability and the Global South, 1(1), 128-152. Retrieved from http://www.dgsjournal.org Justino, P. (2014). Barriers to education in conflict-affected countries and policy opportunities. Retrieved from http://allinschool.org/wpcontent/uploads/2015/01/OOSC-2014-Conflict-and- education-final.pdf Kola, A. J. (2014). Effect of socioeconomic and sociocultural barrier on female education: Implications for students’ enrolment and learning in physics. International Journal of Modern Education Research, 1(4): 73-77. Retrieved from http://www.aascit.org/journal/ijmer Kozulin, A., Gindis, B., Ageyev, V.S., Miller, S. M. (Eds.). (2003). Vygotsky’s educational theory in cultural context. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. Lambert, M., Perrino, E.S., Barreras, E.M. (2012). Understanding the barriers to female education in Ghana (Masters Thesis, University of Southern California Dornsife, Los Angeles CA). Retrieved from http://[email protected] Malek, A. B. M. A. (2015). Koyra upazilar etihas o oytijjo. Dhaka: Advanced Publications. Noorani, S. (2009). Barriers to girls’ education, strategies and interventions. Retrieved from http://unicef.org

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Qureshi, S. (2004). Pakistan: Education and gender policy girl’s education: A lifeline to development (Unpublished thesis) Center for Policy Studies, Hungary. Retrieved from http://pdc.ceu.hu/archive/00002554 Verngren, L. (2016). Social and cultural barriers to education: Strategies to increase access to education for children living with HIV in Vietnam: A minor field study (Masters Thesis, Lund University, Sweden). Retrieved from https://lup.lub.lu.se/studentpapers/search/publication/8875819 Vygotsky, L.S. (1978). [Ebook] (1st ed). London: Harvard University Press. Retrieved from: http://ouleft.org/wp-content/uploads/Vygotsky-Mind-in-Society.pdf Watkins, K. (2000). [Ebook]. The Oxfam Education Report. London: Oxfam Publications. Retrieved from http://oxfamilibrary.openrepository.com/oxfam/bitstream/10546/115525/5/bk-theoxfam-education-report-231100-en.pdf

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Appendix Appendix- 1: Questionnaire Background Information of the Respondent: Name of the Student………………………………….......................................... Name of the School: ……………………………………………………………. Class: ………………… Gender:

Male

Female

Please respond to the following question putting tick (√) mark. 1. Do you have any private tutor? a) Yes

b) No

2. Do you face financial difficulty while buying your books or any other educational materials and paying your school fees? a) Yes

b) No

3. Do your parents face difficulty in maintaining your (including your siblings) educational expenses? a) Yes

b) No

4. Have you ever heard “Nothing will happen being educated because at present getting a job is not too easy” from anyone? a) Yes

b) No

5. “You should not go for higher education as you have to work finally in your husband’s house.” Do the illiterate people say this to the girls? b) Yes

b) No

6. Have your parents ever told you to earn money? a) Yes

b) No

7. Have you attended on any motivational program on education such as seminar or any other special class? a) Yes

b) No

8. Do your non-school friends tell you not to go to school and to play with them? a) Yes

b) No

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9. Do you think study is painful than earning money as you can move freely if you do not come to school? a) Yes

b) No

10. How many high schools is/are there in your union? a) Only 1

b) 2

c) 3

d) More than 3

11. Are the girls disturbed by the eve-teasers on the way to the school? a) Yes

b) No

12. Do you face transport problem? a) Yes

b) No

13. How do you come to school? a) on foot

b) by transport

14. How much time do you need to arrive at the school? a) Less than 10 minutes

b) 11-19 minutes

c) 20-29 minutes

d) More than 30 minutes

15. Have you seen girls in your locality being married off before going to college? a) Yes

b) No

16. Have you got any marriage proposal yet? a) Yes

Thanks for your cordial response.

b) No

Respondent’s Signature………………………