By Tahia Asad of Purple Sheek Media

Introduction: Bangladesh has committed itself to respect, defend, and promote the rights of Bangladeshi children. Yet, despite its promises, the country faces problems such as ineffective services and inadequate measures.) that are currently hindering children from accessing their rights.

Education is free in Bangladesh and children between 6 and 10 must attend school. However, out of the 60 million children, half of them grow up in poverty. According to UNICEF, 40% of Bangladesh’s population is children. Statistics indicate that 600,000 are out of school. Main Barriers to Education

• Poverty: the result of a high unemployment rate, has severe repercussions on children’s access to a healthy diet, health services, and education. To top it off, child laborers, handicapped children, native children, etc. have rare access to education. This is also true for boys from poor communities who often abandon their education to support their family financially.
• Safety: studies show that children are physically abused by their teachers and that girls are often sexually harassed at school or on their way to school.
• Lack of prioritization: children who have difficulty learning may not receive necessary prioritization and support in classrooms, as the education system continues to be heavily reliant on tests and rote learning.
• Lack of schools in the urban slums: Children in slums are at higher risk of not enrolling in primary and secondary school, and when they do, are at a higher risk of dropping out.
• Poor infrastructure: Infrastructures are outdated: the lack of separate sanitary facilities for girls, the lack of ventilation and lighting, etc. Inadequate infrastructure, poor nutrition, and food security all affect learning.
• Quality of Education: The quality of education is not very good because a third of professors teach without a diploma. Teacher supervision, monitoring, and accountability lack strength.

Mission: BASMAH is on a mission to provide education to the children in urban slums and at the Rohingya Refugee Camps. Once the children join their free learning center, they will have the ability to be employed in a more established career, where they can live their lives without turmoil and support their families financially.

Conclusion: The Children’s Learning Centers provide a safe place for kids to learn and grow. The center provides emotional and moral support on top of educational classes five days a week. Every day over 80 students attend classes in each center. They also provide free books, snacks, uniforms, and school bags.