ArticlePDF Available

Understanding Operations of Floating Schools: A Case of Shidhulai Swanirvar Sangstha in Bangladesh

Authors:
Jashim Uddin Ahmed at North South University
Jashim Uddin Ahmed
N.M. Ashikuzzaman
N.M. Ashikuzzaman
N.M. Ashikuzzaman
  • This person is not on ResearchGate, or hasn't claimed this research yet.
Nabila Nisha at Australian National University
Nabila Nisha
Download full-text PDF
Read full-text
Download citation

Abstract

Bangladesh is highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change since it is a delta formed by the confluence of major rivers. Making sure that schools are resilient against such natural disasters in Bangladesh should be a priority for any disaster risk reduction preparedness and planning. To address this challenge, Shidhulai Swanirvar Sangstha (SSS) found an innovative way to deliver information and primary education to residents of wetland area in Bangladesh. It operates 111-vessel fleet of floating schools, libraries, health clinics and training centres, equipped with wireless Internet access, serving over 1,00,000 families. This case captures a clear picture of this rapidly growing non-governmental organization (NGO) of Shidhulai and its extensive activities leading to the transformation of the region’s waterways into pathways for education, information and technology in Bangladesh. Although the case partly focuses upon the role of NGOs and the operational concept of floating schools across the world, an examination of SSS’s growth, challenges, current and plans ahead strategies is the main emphasis here. All these discussions ultimately pave a clear way as to which steps the NGO could take to strengthen its position, and support the development of socio-economic infrastructure of Bangladesh.
Content uploaded by Nabila Nisha
Author content
All content in this area was uploaded by Nabila Nisha on Oct 14, 2017
Content may be subject to copyright.
Understanding Operations
of Floating Schools: A Case
of Shidhulai Swanirvar
Sangstha in Bangladesh
Jashim Uddin Ahmed1
N.M. Ashikuzzaman2
Nabila Nisha3
Abstract
Bangladesh is highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change since it is a delta formed by the
confluence of major rivers. Making sure that schools are resilient against such natural disasters in
Bangladesh should be a priority for any disaster risk reduction preparedness and planning. To address
this challenge, Shidhulai Swanirvar Sangstha (SSS) found an innovative way to deliver information and
primary education to residents of wetland area in Bangladesh. It operates 111-vessel fleet of floating
schools, libraries, health clinics and training centres, equipped with wireless Internet access, serving
over 1,00,000 families. This case captures a clear picture of this rapidly growing non-governmental
organization (NGO) of Shidhulai and its extensive activities leading to the transformation of the region’s
waterways into pathways for education, information and technology in Bangladesh. Although the case
partly focuses upon the role of NGOs and the operational concept of floating schools across the world,
an examination of SSS’s growth, challenges, current and plans ahead strategies is the main emphasis
here. All these discussions ultimately pave a clear way as to which steps the NGO could take to
strengthen its position, and support the development of socio-economic infrastructure of Bangladesh.
Keywords
Bangladesh, primary education, NGO, Chalan beel, children, boat schools, Shidhulai Swanirvar Sangstha
Case
South Asian Journal of
Business and Management Cases
5(2) 221–233
© 2016 Birla Institute of Management Technology
SAGE Publications
sagepub.in/home.nav
DOI: 10.1177/2277977916665993
http://bmc.sagepub.com
Disclaimer: This case is written for classroom discussion and is not intended to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling
of an administrative situation or to represent successful or unsuccessful managerial decision-making or endorse the views of the
management.
1 Professor, Department of Management, School of Business & Economics, North South University, Bashundhara, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
2 Research Associate, Inter Research, Bashundhara, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
3 Senior Lecturer, Department of Accounting & Finance, School of Business & Economics, North South University, Bashundhara,
Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Corresponding author:
Jashim Uddin Ahmed, Professor, Department of Management, School of Business & Economics, North South University,
Bashundhara, Dhaka 1229, Bangladesh.
E-mails: jashim.ahmed@northsouth.edu; jashimahmed@hotmail.com
222 South Asian Journal of Business and Management Cases 5(2)
Introduction
Bangladesh is located in the northeastern part of South Asia and covers an area of 147,570 square
kilometres. It is almost entirely surrounded by India, except for a short southeastern frontier with
Myanmar and a southern coastline on the Bay of Bengal (Chowdhury et al. 2013; NIPORT, Mitra and
Associates, and ICF International 2013). Bangladesh is a developing country with a huge population
(156.18 million, July 2015 estimate). In addition, the density of population (1,045 people per square
kilometre—five times than that of any other ‘mega’ country (>100 million)) is itself is a challenge
(World Bank, 2012; World Factbook, 2016).
In Bangladesh, there are four major stages in the general education system. These being, primary
school education, secondary school education, higher secondary school education and tertiary and higher
education. Though the availability and accessability of primary education for every child is high on the
global context (Sarker & Davey, 2009), access to and achieving the right to education for Bangladeshi
primary school going students in remote area is still remaining a crucial challenge (UNICEF, 2014).
Altogether, currently, there have almost 16.5 million primary school aged children (6–10 years) in
Bangladesh. However, the Government of Bangladesh has shown commendable zeal whilst establishing
laws to promote the quality, quantity and accessibility of primary and secondary education in the country
since its liberation in 1971. The Primary Education Act (1981), The Primary Education (Compulsory)
Act (1990), and later the country’s first National Plan of Action (NPA) on Education for All (EFA)
(1990) are all legal endeavors carried out by the government to both ease access to, and boost enrolment
of primary and secondary education (Ahmed, Ahmed, Khan & Ahmed, 2007).
The Role of NGOs in Primary Education
The term non-governmental organization (NGO) encompasses a broad array of organizations, varying in
their specific purpose, philosophy, sector-wise expertise and scope of activities (Zohir & Matin, 2004).
Non-governmental organizations today are visible actors in the field of socio-economic transforma-
tion in Bangladesh. In Bangladesh, such organizations first surfaced soon after the liberation war. The
main aim behind the emergence of such organizations initially geared towards alleviating poverty and
promoting sustainable development in Bangladesh. Over time, NGOs began to shift their emphasis to
socio-economic development and started pursuing programmes related to healthcare, family planning,
income generation, self-reliance and, most importantly, education for the disadvantaged and the poor of
Bangladesh (Haque, 2013).
In fact, the number and the role and function of NGOs in the education sector have steadily and gradu-
ally increased in recent times. Currently, out of the 2502 (including 251 foreign) NGOs operating in
different capacity in Bangladesh, over 400 NGOs are directly involved in the delivery of basic education
programmes (NGO Affairs Bureau, 30 September 2016). Most of these programmes are designed to
reach the poor and disadvantaged children of the country. Approximately, 4–8 per cent of the primary
school age children in Bangladesh receive non-formal primary education (NFPE) in these NGO pro-
grammes (World Bank, 2002). Non-governmental organizations also have contributed to the develop-
ment of supplementary reading materials for the primary school children.
Most of the NGOs in Bangladesh have been lauded for its success in achieving gender parity at
primary and secondary school level and for its notable progress at the enrolment level of underprivileged
children. Providing quality primary education to the poor and disadvantaged is one of the major
programmes run by these NGOs. It does not stop here, the NGOs prepare children, aged 5+, across the
Ahmed et al. 231
Bangladesh. Moreover, the organization aims to combine their floating schools as both a school boat and
school house. Externally, SSS has bigger plans to develop their initiatives by partnering with various
other NGOs and authorities across Bangladesh. The NGO plans to replicate its ‘floating education’
model in partnership with local organizations in Bangladesh like Care Bangladesh/Grameenphone,
People’s Oriented Program Implementation, Subarno Foundation, and Grambangla Unneyon Committee
(UNDP, 2012). Besides, aspects of this model like solar lamps, solar home systems, locally developed
educational content, and FloodCharts will be additional aids provided by SSS to these replication efforts.
Replication of the project is also being encouraged in India in collaboration with UNICEF. Furthermore,
researchers from the Open University, UK conducted studies on SSS’s floating education system for
their English in Action (EIA) project in Bangladesh, with support from the Government of Bangladesh,
BBC Trust and UK’s the Department for International Development (DFID). The long-term aim of the
project is to launch solar-powered boats in Bangladesh that target developing riverside residents’ English
language skills. Overall, SSS has exciting plans for its journey ahead in Bangladesh and hopes to achieve
a strong position across global initiatives of similar NGOs.
Notes
1. Historically, the beel spreads over the 18 sub-districts (upazilas) of six districts of Bangladesh, including Rajshahi
(Paba, Bagmara and Mohonpur); Pabna (Chatmohor, Vangura and Faridpur); Sirajgonj (Tarash, Ullapara, Raigonj
and Shahjadpur); Natore (Sadar, Singra, Gurudaspur and Baraigram); Naogaon (Manda, Raninagar and Atrai);
and Bogra (Nandigram). It presently spreads over only 10 upazilas, however, including Singra, Gurudaspur,
Boraigram, Chatmohar, Bhangura, Faridpur, Shahjadpur, Ullapara, Tarash and Raigonj, in the three districts
of Natore, Pabna and Sirajgonj (Hossain et al., 2009).
2. Literacy as defined by the UNESCO (and subsequently the premises upon which this article refers to) is ‘any
individual who is literate; who can read, write, and is socially aware’ (UNESCO, 2015).
References
Ahmed, M., Ahmed, K., Khan, N., & Ahmed, R. (2007). Access to education in Bangladesh country analytic
review of primary and secondary education. Dhaka, Bangladesh: BRAC University Institute of Educational
Development (BU-IED).
Alipala, J.S., & Manlupig, K. (2014, November 11). Floating schools bring learning to Badjao, Sama kids.
Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved November 2015, from http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/649939/floating-schools-
bring-learning-to-badjao-sama-kids
Annual Primary School Census. (2014). Annual primary school census 2014. Dhaka: Monitoring & Evaluation
Division, Directorate of Primary Education, Ministry of Primary & Mass Education, Government of the
People’s Republic of Bangladesh.
Anwar, T. (2012). If the children can’t go to school, then the school should come to them. Social Enterprise Buzz.
Retrieved November 2015, from http://www.socialenterprisebuzz.com/2012/11/22/if-the-children-cant-go-to-
school-then-the-school-should-come-to-them/
Arch Daily. (2013, March 14). Makoko floating school/NLÉ architect. Retrieved October 2015, from http://www.
archdaily.com/344047/makoko-floating-school-nle-architects/
Ardt, K., Hastings, C., Hopkins, K., Knebel, R., Loh, J., & Woods, R. (2005). Report on primary education in
Bangladesh: Challenges and successes. Bangladesh Bureau of Education Information and Statistics (BANBEIS)/
Bangladesh Ministry of Women and Children Affairs (MWCA). Retrieved April 2016, from http://rih.stanford.
edu/rosenfield/resources/Primary%20Education%20in%20Bangladesh.pdf
Ashden Awards. (2007). Ashden Awards case study: Shidhulai Swanirvar Sangstha.. Retrieved October 2015, from
https://www.ashden.org/winners/shidhulai
Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. (2013). District statistics 2011. Nator, Pabna and Sirajganj: Bangladesh Bureau
of Statistics, Statistics & Information Division, Ministry of Planning, Government of the People’s Republic of
Bangladesh.
232 South Asian Journal of Business and Management Cases 5(2)
Bangladesh Business News. (2012, November 17). BRAC to build 400 boat schools by 2014. Retrieved 19 September
2015, from http://businessnews-bd.com/brac-to-build-400-boat-schools-by-2014/
BRAC. (2014). Shikkha Tari: Boat school. Retrieved 11 October 2015, from http://education.brac.net/82-bhp/
brac-projects/176-shikkha-tari-boat-school
Chowdhury, S.S. (2015, July 25). Boat of dreams. Daily Star. Retrieved 10 October 2015, from http://www.thedaily
star.net/frontpage/boat-dreams-116341
Chowdhury, A.M.R., & Bhuiya, A. (2004). The wider impacts of BRAC poverty alleviation programme in
Bangladesh. Journal of International Development, 16(3), 369–386.
Chowdhury, A.R., Bhuiya, A., Chowdhury, M.E., Rasheed, S., Hussain, Z., & Chen, L.C. (2013). The
Bangladesh paradox: exceptional health achievement despite economic poverty. The Lancet, 382(9906),
1734–1745.
Chowdhury, A.M.R., Nath, S.R., & Choudhury, R.K. (2002). Enrolment at primary level: Gender difference dis-
appears in Bangladesh. International Journal of Educational Development, 22(2), 191–203.
Collins, J. (2015, June 2). Makoko floating school, beacon of hopes for the Lagos ‘water world’ a history of cities in
50 buildings, day 48. (The) Guardian. Retrieved October 2015, from http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/
jun/02/makoko-floating-school-lagos-waterworld-history-cities-50-buildings
Daily Star. (2012, November 17). BRAC to build 400 boat schools by 2014. Retrieved October 2015, from http://
archive.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=257808
The Daily Sun. (2015, August 5). How one architect transforms education in flood ravaged Bangladesh. Retrieved
December 2015, from http://www.daily-sun.com/printversion/details/64149/How-one-architect-transformss-
education-in-floodravaged-Bangladesh
Ge, S. (2015). Energy: Solar powered school boats in Bangladesh. Retrieved November 2015, from http://www.
impacthound.com/tag/shidhulai-swanirvar-sangstha/
Glancey. (2014). Learning from Lagos: Floating school, Makoko, Nigeria, Kunlé Adeyemi, NLÉ. (The)
Architectural Review. Retrieved October 2015, from http://www.architectural-review.com/buildings/learning-
from-lagos-floating-school-makoko-nigeria-kunl-adeyemi-nl/8652311.article
Haque, F. (2013). Education for sustainable development: An evaluation of the new curriculum of the formal
primary education in Bangladesh. European Scientific Journal, 1(Special Edition), 320–330.
Herwees, T. (2014, November 5). Floating boat schools give students a second chance. The Daily Good. Retrieved
on 29 September 2015, from http://magazine.good.is/articles/brac-boat-schools
Hossain, M.A., Nahiduzzaman, M., Sayeed, M.A., Azim, M.E., Wahab, M.A., & Olin, P.G. (2009). The Chalan
beel in Bangladesh: Habitat and biodiversity degradation, and implications for future management. Lakes &
Reservoirs: Research & Management, 14(1), 3–19.
Iqbal, I. (2006). The railway in colonial India: Between ideasand impacts. In R. Srinivasan, M. Tiwari, & S. Silas
(Eds), Our Indian railway: Themes in Indian railway history (pp. 173–186). Darayganj, New Delhi: Foundation
Books Pvt. Ltd.
Islam, S. (2015). Boat schools bring classroom to Bangladesh’s flood hit children. Retrieved November 2015, from
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-disaster-risk-education-idUSKBN0M50RP20150309
Macabalang, A.G. (2014, June 23). Floating schools educate people of sea. Manila Bulletin. Retrieved November
2015, from http://www.mb.com.ph/floating-schools-educate-people-of-sea/
Mahmud, A. (2006). Shidhulai Swanirvar Sangstha: Bringing information technology to rural Bangladesh by boat.
Bill & Melinda Gates foundation access to learning award recipient 2005. Washington, DC: Council on Library
and Information Resources.
Mehrin, N. (2014). Exclusion to Innovation: A BRAC Boat School Story. Retrieved November 2015, from https://
www.worldpulse.com/en/community/users/nawra-mehrin/posts/33565
Narayanan, N. (2012). One man’s solution for flood prone areas started with floating schools. E&E Publishing.
Retrieved December 2015, from http://www.eenews.net/stories/1059972041/print
National Literacy Policies, Bangladesh. (2015). Retrieved July 2015, from http://www.accu.or.jp/litdbase/policy/
bgd/
National Institute of Population Research and Training (NIPORT), Mitra and Associates, and ICF International.
(2013). Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey 2011. Dhaka, Bangladesh and Calverton, MA, USA:
NIPORT, Mitra and Associates, and ICF International.
Ahmed et al. 233
NGO Affairs Bureau. (2016). About NGO. Retrieved October 2016, from http://www.ngoab.gov.bd
Pareno, R. (2014, June 14). Floating schools for sea gypsy kids to open in Basulta. (The) Philippine Star. Retrieved
November 2015, from http://www.philstar.com/nation/2014/06/14/1334761/floating-schools-sea-gypsy-kids-
open-basulta
Rahman, M.W., Luo, J., Ahmed, S., & Xiaolin, W. (2012). The synthesis of Grameen Bank, BRAC and ASA micro-
finance approaches in Bangladesh. World Applied Sciences Journal, 20(7), 1055–1062.
Rezwan, A.H.M. (2007). Replicating a bangladeshi education and technology project to reach isolated communities.
In World Library and Information Congress: 73rd IFLA Annual Conference and Council, Durban, South Africa
(pp. 19–23).
Sarker, P., & Davey, G. (2009). Exclusion of indigenous children from primary education in the Rajshahi Division
of northwestern Bangladesh. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 13(1), 1–11.
Smith, T. (2013). Floating schools ensure education in flood prone Bangladesh. Retrieved October 2015, from
http://tcktcktck.org/2013/07/floating-schools-ensure-education-in-flood-prone-bangladesh/
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). (2012). Shidhulai Swanirvar Sangstha, Bangladesh. Equator
initiative case study series. New York, NY: UNDP.
UNESCO. (2015). Adult and youth literacy, 1990–2015 analysis of data for 41 selected countries. Montreal, QC:
UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
UNICEF (2014). All Children in school by 2015: Global Initiative on Out-of-School Children. UNICEF Regional
Office for South Asia, Kathmandu, Nepal.
Unterhalter, E. (2005). Global inequality, capabilities, social justice: The millennium development goal for gender
equality in education. International Journal of Educational Development, 25(2), 111–122.
World Factbook. (2016). World Factbook, South Asia: Bangladesh. CIA Facts File. Retrieved September 2016, from
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/print/country/countrypdf_bg.pdf
Wax, E. (2007). In flood prone Bangladesh, a future that floats. Washington Post. Retrieved December 2015, from
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/26/AR2007092602582_2.html
World Bank. (2002). NGOs as deliverers of basic education. Bangladesh Education Sector Review (Report No. 3).
Retrieved April 2016, from http://datatopics.worldbank.org/hnp/files/edstats/BGDesr02c.pdf
———. (2012). The World Bank data: Bangladesh. Washington, DC: World Bank.
Yee, A. (2013). Floating schools bring classrooms to stranded students. New York Times. Retrieved December 2015,
from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/01/world/asia/floating-schools-in-bangladesh.html?_r=0
Zohir, S., & Matin, I. (2004). Wider impacts of microfinance institutions: Issues and concepts. Journal of
International Development, 16(3), 301–330.
... Floating schools were proposed to address this issue and realize the country's goal of providing "Education for All." Mohammed Rezwan, a Bangladeshi architect, was the first to propose the concept of a floating school. He theorized that since students in flood-stricken areas cannot attend school due to a lack of transportation, the school should reach them by boat instead (Ahmed et al., 2016;Rezwan, 2015). ...
... By 2016, approximately 2,000 students were enrolled in 22 floating schools across the Chalan Beel region (Karim, 2016). According to Ahmed et al. (2016), the introduction of floating schools had a significant socioeconomic and environmental impact on the region. ...
... This approach can be replicated in other communities facing similar challenges caused by seasonal flooding, extreme weather, and climate change (Ahmed et al., 2016). The floating school model is a successful and sustainable solution to address a local problem. ...
The Floating Schools of Bangladesh: An Indigenous Solution for the Lack of Access to Primary Education in Flood-Prone Areas
Article
Full-text available
  • Aug 2023
Highlights We explore the context, pattern, and outcomes of floating schools in Bangladesh. Floating schools provide mobile education in geographically isolated areas. The floating school is an indigenous solution for a local problem. Replicable in other communities facing similar challenges. Findings will benefit education policymaking in flood-prone areas.
View
... In these three years, natural disasters, particularly floods, had disrupted the education of more than 1.5 million children (19). ...
... Floods and cyclones damaged 496 school buildings and ruined 2,110 and more (19). 2004 1,259 school buildings were washed away by floods and 24,236 were destructed (19). ...
... Floods and cyclones damaged 496 school buildings and ruined 2,110 and more (19). 2004 1,259 school buildings were washed away by floods and 24,236 were destructed (19). 1998 ...
Disaster and Education: Impact of Flood on School Going Children at Keshabpur Upazilla in Bangladesh
Article
Full-text available
  • Dec 2021
Introduction: Presently, there has been an emergent concern that rising numbers of the world’s population are deserted due to the undesirable impacts of natural hazards, especially floods. Geographically, Bangladesh is a low-lying flood plain country with only a few hills in the south-east and the north-east part. Undoubtedly, education is a principal factor of socio-economic development, but regrettably, Bangladesh is suffering from the uncontainable effects of floods. After considering such issues, the foremost focus of this study was to recognize both the academic challenges faced by school-going children during a flood and examine the impact of the flood on the health of the children. Methods: Interview schedule, questionnaire survey, and document analyses had been carried out for this study. The study design was carried out by applying a mixed method. Students of Biddanondokathi Government Primary School and Mangalkot Secondary School from Mirzapur village of Mangalkot union in Keshabpurupazilla were randomly selected. The well-structured questionnaires were disseminated to 80 respondents of two academic institutions of Keshabpurupazilla of Jashore district. Additionally, descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were conducted to attain research objectives. Results: The outcome of this study revealed that flood unswervingly impacts the academic routine and health status of school-going children. Almost 93.8% of students faced academic challenges and 87.5% of children were the victims of waterborne diseases like diarrhea, skin diseases, and dysentery. Almost 82% of respondents did not go to school as the roads were impassable, 28.8% of individuals faced problems due to washed away bridges, and 28.8% faced challenges as their school was surrounded by water. About 66.2% of children dropped out of school and 17.5% of students did not attend their classes at all after the flood. Conclusions: Not only school-going children but also infrastructure is the crucial victims of flood disasters, compromising the children’s rights to access to quality education, information, good sanitation, as well as their participation rights. Flood disasters have key impacts on children’s education and progress and this study suggests that strategies need to be adapted to attend to the disaster risks encountered by school-going children of Bangladesh.
View
... These studies were carried out in Italy, Iceland, Portugal, Egypt, Indonesia, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Greece, Zimbabwe, and New Zealand and considered natural hazards, such as earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, fires, landslides, and volcanic eruptions. All the articles focused on DRRE, except one [57], which focused on access to education. ...
... Although most of the studies were focused on formal education systems, half of these also included non-formal education, highlighting the idea that educational interventions should target school children and their families and the community [64]. Most studies also agreed on the importance of including the knowledge of local communities in the design and implementation of initiatives [57,61,64]. Some studies emphasized the relevance of designing initiatives from the "bottom-up" (that is, from teachers, students, or communities to the local authorities) since it considers specific regional needs in the design of the plans [65,66], fosters awareness of the social dimension of disasters [67], and promotes the participation of children and adults in the proposed activities [26,61,66,[68][69][70][71][72][73]. ...
... In terms of results, Ahmed et al. (2016) [57] facilitated access to education designed for a community affected by floods, demonstrating a positive social, economic, and environmental impact. Bernhardsdottir et al. (2016) [69] compared the degree of involvement of local authorities in DRR with how information was shared with schools that already had emergency plans for earthquakes. ...
Disaster Risk Reduction Education: Tensions and Connections with Sustainable Development Goals
Article
Full-text available
  • Oct 2021
In the last decades, environmental risks and threats have increased human exposure to natural hazards, often affecting the quality of life, especially for vulnerable groups. This article explores the tensions and connections within educational research concerning disaster risk reduction (DRRE) in relation to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Twenty-seven articles published between 2014 and 2020 in various geographic regions regarding disaster risk reduction (DRR) were reviewed, finding that (a) the participation of children, youth, families, and the community is central; (b) non-formal and informal education are equally as relevant as formal education; (c) DRR initiatives can favor broader objectives, such as reducing poverty or advancing towards sustainable communities; and (d) achieving community resilience in the face of socio-natural disasters requires local voices for the design, implementation, and scaling of strategies. However, certain tensions were also found due to the lack of emphasis on the crucial areas of SDGs, which are related to a comprehensive notion of well-being and health education, including mental health and a gender approach, the limited mitigation of risk aggravating factors arising from extreme poverty and the climate crisis, the disconnection between modern and ancestral knowledge, the “top-down” versus “bottom-up” approach in the generation of local solutions, the role of education on disaster risk reduction as a risk mitigation factor, and the requirements to adjust the curriculum synchronously to global environmental needs, are all discussed, thus highlighting and encouraging the urgent cultural changes needed in the Anthropocene era that can be triggered through disaster risk reduction education.
View
... In these three years, natural disasters, particularly floods, had disrupted the education of more than 1.5 million children (19). ...
... Floods and cyclones damaged 496 school buildings and ruined 2,110 and more (19). 2004 1,259 school buildings were washed away by floods and 24,236 were destructed (19). ...
... Floods and cyclones damaged 496 school buildings and ruined 2,110 and more (19). 2004 1,259 school buildings were washed away by floods and 24,236 were destructed (19). 1998 ...
Disaster and Education: Impact of Flood on School Going Children at Keshabpur Upazilla in Bangladesh
Article
  • Apr 2021
Introduction: Presently, there has been an emergent concern that rising numbers of the world’s population are deserted due to the undesirable impacts of natural hazards, especially floods. Geographically, Bangladesh is a low-lying flood plain country with only a few hills in the south-east and the north-east part. Undoubtedly, education is a principal factor of socio-economic development, but regrettably, Bangladesh is suffering from the uncontainable effects of floods. After considering such issues, the foremost focus of this study was to recognize both the academic challenges faced by school-going children during a flood and examine the impact of the flood on the health of the children. Methods: Interview schedule, questionnaire survey, and document analyses had been carried out for this study. The study design was carried out by applying a mixed method. Students of Biddanondokathi Government Primary School and Mangalkot Secondary School from Mirzapur village of Mangalkot union in Keshabpurupazilla were randomly selected. The well-structured questionnaires were disseminated to 80 respondents of two academic institutions of Keshabpurupazilla of Jashore district. Additionally, descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were conducted to attain research objectives. Results: The outcome of this study revealed that flood unswervingly impacts the academic routine and health status of school-going children. Almost 93.8% of students faced academic challenges and 87.5% of children were the victims of waterborne diseases like diarrhea, skin diseases, and dysentery. Almost 82% of respondents did not go to school as the roads were impassable, 28.8% of individuals faced problems due to washed away bridges, and 28.8% faced challenges as their school was surrounded by water. About 66.2% of children dropped out of school and 17.5% of students did not attend their classes at all after the flood. Conclusions: Not onlyschool-going children but also infrastructure is the crucial victims of flood disasters, compromising the children’s rights to access to quality education, information, good sanitation, as well as their participation rights. Flood disasters have key impacts on children’s education and progress and this study suggests that strategies need to be adapted to attend to the disaster risks encountered by school-going children of Bangladesh.
View
... To address these needs, BRAC 1 employs local resources and labor to build modern techno friendly boat schools ('Shikkha Tari') for communities where waterway is the only means of communication for most of the time in a given year. It is a novel innovative step to bring about 'Shikkha Tari' (boat of education) operated under the BRAC education program in an inundated area to lessen the number of school dropouts and enhance the school learning environment (Ahmed et al. 2016). These boat schools are now promising a range of educational and social services in developing socio economic base for a disadvantaged group of people in Bangladesh. ...
... The ambiance of classroom of a boat school is unique and inspirational enough to display several paintings and writings, handmade flowers, alphabets, word lists and timetables. BRAC developed textbooks are recommended for students up to class three and national curriculum textbooks are followed for students in grades four and five (Ahmed et al. 2016). ...
Social innovation in education: BRAC boat schools in Bangladesh
Article
Full-text available
  • Sep 2017
Bangladesh consists of wetlands that pose great threat to the public primary education services. BRAC (Building Resources Across Communities) - a non-governmental organization, therefore, took the opportunity to serve unprivileged children by implementing boat schools model in solving barriers of such uninterrupted education. This case focuses in dealing those threats through the usage of prototype boat schools as a vehicle of social innovation for particular regional development. Thus, BRAC boat schools appear to bring blessings for children in accessing their basic right of education to enlighten the society. The impact of boat schools in education is examined to create positive socio-economic changes. However, this study highlights a brief analysis of the context based on diverse stakeholders and their perspectives to contribute in the theoretical endeavor of social innovation in educational context. It inevitably demands a promising avenue of interests to devise further research on the compatibility of social innovation in education to gear up status of an impoverished society.
View
... Studies have shown the positive impact of skills training in the lives of BRAC Skills Development Programme graduates, such as increased earnings, enhanced empowerment and improved self-confidence (Edwards Schachter, Matti, & Alc antara, 2012;Ahmed, Ashikuzzaman, & Nisha, 2016;Rahman, Rahman, Samadder, & Bayes, 2017;Cho, Sultana, & Kwon, 2019). BISD facilitates local economic development through hands-on apprenticeships in enterprises and institution-based training, aligned with the Bangladesh National Skills Development Policy (BNSDP), focussing on labour migrants and vulnerable people. ...
Social innovation for inclusion and sustainable development: a case study on BRAC institute of skills development (BISD)
Article
Full-text available
  • Jul 2024
Purpose The paper aims to understand the stages of the social innovation process and how it can be used for sustainable development. Design/methodology/approach This single case study used multiple sources, especially data from extensive field visits and selective in-depth interviews. Direct observation, web content analysis, journals, annual reports and news articles were also used. Findings The findings show that BRAC institute of skills development (BISD) adopted a unique formula for the social innovation process: problem identification, new idea, design prototype, pilot, perfect and scale up. This study also finds that BISD has a significant socio-economic impact in Bangladesh. The impacts of BISD are associated with several United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 1 on poverty, SDG 4 on inclusive learning, SDG 5 on gender equality and women empowerment, SDG 8 on decent work and economic growth and SDG 16 on social inclusion. Practical implications The discussions of this study ultimately pave a clear roadmap for policymakers, practitioners and academics to improve mechanisms for sustainable development through social innovations in emerging countries. Originality/value This paper provides a practical application of the social inclusive innovation process theory by which vocational training institutes can scale their sustainable impact. More knowledge is needed on how organisations can implement social innovation projects in emerging countries. This paper provides exploratory evidence to fill this gap. It demands a promising area of interest to investigate further research on the compatibility of social innovation in skills development programmes to gear up the status of an underprivileged community.
View
... As of the latest data available, there are 23 floating schools operating in Bangladesh according to search results. However, previous sources stated that in 2016, around 2,000 students were enrolled in 22 floating schools in the Chalan Beel area (Ahmed et al., 2016;Hossin, 2020) . ...
Floating Schools: an Overview of Education in Bangladesh
Article
Full-text available
  • Mar 2024
highlighting education in Bangladesh is currently attracting world attention because there is a unique phenomenon that occurs due to the process of learning activities on boats in Bangladesh. Teaching and learning activities on a boat are not done because we want to exist and deliberately steal the world's attention because conditions must force these activities to occur. Bangladesh is a country that is prone to flooding problems which can paralyze life activities including educational activities. Problems arise from many parties who question the safety of teachers and students there because learning activities are not carried out in patented buildings. Then many parties also want to know the obstacles that arise from learning activities held on boats. The aim of this research is to determine safety efforts and also the obstacles faced during the learning process. This research uses mixed research methods, namely field research and literature study. The sources for this research are the manager of learning activities on the boat, 5 teachers and 10 students from 3 schools and also several relevant previous articles which were used as reference sources. The results of this research show that there is a guarantee of safety from the management, including starting from boat design , time management, provision for teachers to master the terrain and equipping the boat with sophisticated equipment. The challenges faced include aspects of funding, climate change, limited reach, teacher training and technological infrastructure.
View
... Zhu et al. (2016) have proposed a framework for smart education focusing on the presence of three core components: teacher, learner and technology. Technology-facilitated student-centred, personalised and collaborative initiatives like floating schools, such as 'Shikkha Tari' (education programme in boat) of BRAC-can ensure a more engaging learning environment for Haor children (Ahmed et al., 2016). Technology-enabled distant learning system along with this strategy suggests improved logistics, infrastructure and transportation to offer learning learning-friendly environment at all government and NGO-led primary and secondary schools in the Haor region. ...
Haor (Wetland) Community in Bangladesh: Problems/ Needs, Resources and Potential for Employing Smart Village Ideas
Article
Full-text available
  • Aug 2023
This article discusses needs and problems and resources in the Haor (wetland) region in Bangladesh and the potential for employing smart village ideas to address a few identified needs and problems. The study was conducted on 12 villages of the Tanguar Haor of Sunamganj District. A total of 20 key informant interviews (KIIs) and 12 focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted following purposive sampling. The findings indicated that Haor people experience acute poverty, ill health, low level of education and endemic unemployment which are being worsened by frequent floods and climate-induced damages. The Haor area occupies some potential resources, including land, livestock, marshlands, electricity and mobile telephones, all of which could be mobilised to improve the quality of Haor people's lives. The paper suggests applying the smart village model that touches every facet of wetland life, including agriculture, education, employment and healthcare to improve the living standard of the people of the Haor region.
View
... However, the floating school in some areas is an impetus for the pupils to continue education during monsoon. Such schools are supported and run by charities and NGOs (Ahmed et al., 2016). In the floating school system, boats are fitted with a classroom and playing equipment for child education. ...
Linkage Between Social and Hydrological Systems to Support Resilience: A Case of Freshwater Wetland in Bangladesh
Chapter
Full-text available
  • Mar 2023
Conceptualizing water and society is crucial to address hydrological and social challenges and their complex interactions under climate change scenarios and increasing pressure on water resources. Bangladesh is at the forefront of hydro-climatic disasters such as flood, cyclone, salinity intrusion, and drought wherein vulnerable people are continuously embracing new socioeconomic systems co-opting with water inlaid challenges. Societal actions and policy decisions are also interplaying with the hydrological system to evolve and adapt new paths for building resilience. There are a number of socio-hydrological elements that help the vulnerable community to cope with ever-increasing socio-hydrological challenges. Taking Chalan Beel as an example, which is one of the largest freshwater wetlands in Bangladesh, we analyzed the hydro-climatic disasters such as flood, water scarcity, declining water resources and the impact of such disasters on the livelihood of the community who are heavily reliant on the wetland for their income. The presentations of linked socio-hydrology through documenting disaster management approaches are also crafted, access to common property resources, and adaptation practices of the community to identify small-scale transformational changes that enable them to focus more on disaster preparedness and prevention for building resilience at the large scale. Key words:Wetland, Socio-hydrological system, Resilience, Chalan Beel, Bangladesh
View
... Junto a este rechazo de la institución escolar, ha aparecido también la fiebre de la innovación como una forma de defender la actualidad de la escuela. Las experiencias exitosas acontecidas en distintas partes del mundo (Ahmed et al., 2016;Lenz et al., 2015) han hecho contemplar las nuevas metodologías como la solución a las acuciantes críticas que enfrenta hoy la escuela. Sin embargo, tal como señala Calvo (2015) el éxito de las escuelas más innovadoras del planeta no radica en la simple introducción de nuevas metodologías, sino en que la innovación es el resultado de un cuestionamiento serio y profundo acerca de "qué, quién, cómo y cuándo educar en su realidad" (p. ...
La escuela: lugar de significado y compromiso
Article
Full-text available
  • Sep 2022
Distintos fenómenos sociales relativos a la infancia y la juventud parecen cuestionar la capacidad de la escuela para crear significados comunes y garantizar la preparación de personas capaces de vivir en democracia. El objetivo de este artículo es demostrar que la transmisión cultural que se produce en el seno de la institución escolar es la base de los procesos de humanización que suceden en la escuela al fomentar en los alumnos la construcción de una identidad personal sólida, capaz de encontrar sentido a la propia vida y de comprometerse con la realidad social, cultural, política y económica de la que forma parte. Para ello, se exponen, en primer lugar, tres presiones a las que se encuentra sometida hoy la escuela para que, en aras del progreso, renuncie a la misión que le es propia y sucumba a la tentación de educar en el vacío cultural. A continuación, se defiende el valor de la escuela como generadora, a través de la cultura, de una realidad significativa, que permite hallar sentido a la propia vida y capacita para el encuentro y compromiso con los otros a través de la creación de significados comunes. Por último, se muestra cómo la escuela contribuye a la formación de tres dimensiones (narración, inteligibilidad y responsabilidad) necesarias para vivir en democracia. Como conclusión, se reclama la importancia de la reflexión teleológica como guía de la actuación educativa para resistir a una agenda que pone en riesgo la auténtica educación en libertad: la de la libertad que trasciende a la mera apetencia para comprometerse con el otro.
View
The Synthesis of Grameen Bank, BRAC and ASA Microfinance Approaches in Bangladesh
Article
Full-text available
  • Feb 2011
The paper describes the operational mechanism/institutional innovation of key Microfinance Service Providers (MSPs) in Bangladesh. Grameen Bank (GB), Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC) and Association for Social Advancement (ASA) have been chosen to investigate the microfinance approaches. Selected MSPs are dominating microfinance market in Bangladesh in outreach, outstanding loans, savings and efficient service delivery mechanism. They offer micro-credit, savings and social services to the poor who were deprived from such access offered by conventional banks. However, they have distinct features with respect to group formation, service mechanism, product diversity and management systems. Grameen Bank, a special kind of Bank, offers loans to the poor particularly women in groups of five. BRAC is a private sector development organization providing financial and extensive social services to the poor in groups of thirty to forty. This group mechanism creates peer social pressure and solidarity, which seems to work well in a society where social networks are often of vital importance. Meanwhile, ASA as a full fledged microfinance institution offers individual loans groups consisting of 30-40 members in a group and the group co-liability is absent. GB, BRAC and ASA have been able to demonstrate the effectiveness of microfinance program towards sustainable development for the rural poor in Bangladesh. They have accomplished their effective and efficient management skills, innovative approaches and decentralized management systems. Meanwhile, microfinance clients particularly women have proven their talents for utilizing loans, maintaining regular repayment, credit discipline and the sincerity which have extended microfinance business scope in a sustainable manner. The present study contributes to the literature on diverse microfinance approaches. The study may lead to further methodological improvement of the microfinance institutions in Bangladesh and elsewhere. Finally, microfinance practitioners and policy makers might gain better understanding on existing microfinance approaches in Bangladesh and can think or re-think for adaptation.
View
The Bangladesh paradox: Exceptional health achievement despite economic poverty
Article
Full-text available
  • Nov 2013
  • LANCET
Bangladesh, the eighth most populous country in the world with about 153 million people, has recently been applauded as an exceptional health performer. In the first paper in this Series, we present evidence to show that Bangladesh has achieved substantial health advances, but the country's success cannot be captured simplistically because health in Bangladesh has the paradox of steep and sustained reductions in birth rate and mortality alongside continued burdens of morbidity. Exceptional performance might be attributed to a pluralistic health system that has many stakeholders pursuing women-centred, gender-equity-oriented, highly focused health programmes in family planning, immunisation, oral rehydration therapy, maternal and child health, tuberculosis, vitamin A supplementation, and other activities, through the work of widely deployed community health workers reaching all households. Government and non-governmental organisations have pioneered many innovations that have been scaled up nationally. However, these remarkable achievements in equity and coverage are counterbalanced by the persistence of child and maternal malnutrition and the low use of maternity-related services. The Bangladesh paradox shows the net outcome of successful direct health action in both positive and negative social determinants of health-ie, positives such as women's empowerment, widespread education, and mitigation of the effect of natural disasters; and negatives such as low gross domestic product, pervasive poverty, and the persistence of income inequality. Bangladesh offers lessons such as how gender equity can improve health outcomes, how health innovations can be scaled up, and how direct health interventions can partly overcome socioeconomic constraints.
View
Exclusion of indigenous children from primary education in the Rajshahi Division of northwestern Bangladesh
Article
Full-text available
  • Feb 2009
Although education provision has recently improved in Bangladesh, the exclusion of children in the poorest families remains a pressing issue. Surveys in Bangladesh about school attendance have to date been confined to the dominant ethnic groups. Data are lacking for ethnic minorities such as indigenous children. To address this issue, we surveyed indigenous children’s primary school attendance and dropout rates in northwestern Bangladesh during 2004. The results revealed that few indigenous children (22%) completed a year of primary education, and an additional 18% attended some school but dropped out. It is likely that a large percentage of indigenous children never experience or complete primary education, and they probably do not attain even basic literacy skills. Focus groups with educational professionals revealed that poverty, child labour, and other factors such as ignorance toward education, language problems, cultural alienation, and parents’ seasonal migration account for the low rates of school attendance. Urgent action is needed to reverse the exclusion of indigenous children from primary education in northwestern Bangladesh.
View
The Chalan beel in Bangladesh: Habitat and biodiversity degradation, and implications for future management
Article
Full-text available
  • Feb 2009
This study provides an overview of the current resources and fisheries status of the Chalan beel, and identifies the scope of opportunities to evolve existing fisheries management strategies, focusing on fish biodiversity conservation. Chalan beel is the largest, most important watershed in the North Central Bangladesh, and covers an area of about 375 km2 during the monsoon season. The watershed serves about 5 million people, predominantly through fisheries and agricultural activities. Although considerably degraded over time, Chalan beel still supports a diverse ichthyofauna of major importance to the local economy and people's livelihoods. The Chalan beel area incorporates 21 rivers and 93 smaller seasonal beels of varying size. Most of the rivers and beels are at risk of partial or total degradation, as a result of agricultural encroachment, siltation and other anthropogenic activities. During the study, ≈ 83% of the rivers, and 68% of the beels in the lean season, shrunk to 0–5% of their maximum (monsoon) water-spread area during the dry season (i.e. critical levels for survival of many fish species). A fish catch survey was carried out in the main fishing season (July to December) over two successive years in the three most important catchment areas; namely, the Gumani, Baral and Katagang Rivers. A total of 72 sampling episodes yielded 9818 individuals, representing 114 fish species. The most abundant fish species during the 2-year study period were punti (Puntius sophore and Puntius ticto), followed by chanda (Chanda nama and Parambassis ranga), chapila (Gudusia chapra) and tengra (Mystus vittatus). The study results indicate at least 19 fish species once considered abundant can now be classified as threatened, with a possibility of local extinction. The mean fish catch was 2.08 ± 0.49 kg, and 1.29 ± 0.32 kg per hour per person, by suti jal (set bag net – the most common gear used in the beel) in 2005 and 2006, respectively, with a significant (P < 0.05) variation among catches in months and years at all three sample sites. In 2005–2006, the annual fish production in Chalan beel was 12 217 tonnes, being less than half of the production observed in 1982. The stakeholders identified several major causes they thought were directly responsible for the continued decrease in fish production and biodiversity of the beel area. Several management strategies were suggested by the same stakeholders, and the findings are discussed in the context of overall developments in the Chalan beel fisheries related to habitat and biodiversity management.
View
Enrolment at primary level: Gender difference disappears in Bangladesh
Article
Full-text available
  • Mar 2002
  • INT J EDUC DEV
In the recent past, there have been a number of new initiatives to improve the access to primary education in many developing countries. Such initiatives, which came from the public, private and non-governmental (NGO) sectors, have resulted in improved performance in various efficiency indicators. This paper reports results from a nationwide study in Bangladesh on the levels and changes in enrolment pattern of children at the primary level. The gross enrolment ratio has reached 107% and the net enrolment rate 77%. Gender gap has disappeared; in fact girls have surpassed boys! However, the increase in enrolment taking place is not at the desired speed; it is less than one percentage point per year. The government is still the major provider of primary education with two-thirds of all enrolments, but non-formal schools run by NGOs also have important contributions to the positive changes that are taking place in Bangladesh.
View
View
The Wider Impact of BRAC Poverty Alleviation Programme in Bangladesh
Article
Full-text available
  • Apr 2004
  • J Int Dev
Over the decades of the 1980s and 90s many poverty alleviation programmes have been implemented in developing countries. Evaluations of such programmes have traditionally looked at their success in increasing the income levels of participants but less at the wider goals of human well-being. This paper looks at the poverty alleviation programme of BRAC, a large non-governmental organisation in Bangladesh, and, based on carefully designed studies, presents its impact on selected components of 'human well-being'. This study found better child survival and nutritional status in households served by the programme. Simular impacts were also found in other areas such as expenditure patterns, family planning practices and children's education. The studies also looked at the impact on the rural power structure and found a substantial change in the networking relationship of health providers. The likely influence of 'selectivity bias' on the above results is also discussed. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
View
The Railway in Colonial India: Between Ideas and Impacts
Chapter
  • Mar 2006
The idea of establishing and expanding a railway system in India offered the most vibrant excitement in colonial mind. This excitement was reflected in the thoughts of two categories of people: those who had a romantic vision of India, often diluted by ingredients of ‘civilizing mission’ and those who found India as a veritable home for capitalist initiatives. The issues of capital investment and its impact on India's macroeconomic performance have been explored to a great extent. The issue of civilizing mission has also recently been subjected to close scrutiny. However, the ‘discussions’ and debates about the above two themes have considered the idea of cultural superiority of the West and Western capitalism as omnipotent. There has been hardly any focus on how the civilizing mission or the patterns of capitalist development in relation to the railway was informed by local circumstances. The lack of appreciation of the forces within both Indian society and nature has also led to complete indifference to the impact of railways on the indigenous society and physical landscape. This article focuses on how the railway projects in India were informed by and negotiated within Indian social and ecological atmosphere. The particular focus would be on the Bengal Delta. In cultural discourse level, the railway as a tool for civilizing mission could best be explained in terms of nineteenth-century romanticism. Lord Tennyson had a vision of taking some ‘savage women’ and of raising his ‘dusky race’ in some distant parts of the world. In his project, he, however, was not handicapped by the obstacles of distance and sluggishness as the pre-railway generation of the messengers of civilizing mission had experienced.
View
Replicating a bangladeshi education and technology project to reach isolated communities
Article
Shidhulai Swanirvar Sangstha, a national research and development organization in Bangladesh, reaches poor, marginalized waterside communities by a fleet of 88 flat-bottomed boats, all made with locally available materials. The boats make their way through the hundreds of rivers and canals of northern Bangladesh to bring a range of educational services and renewable energy supplies to 87,000 families. All 88 boats use solar photovoltaic (PV) modules to generate all the electricity they need to provide daily classes in primary education for children, libraries, training in sustainable agriculture, health advice, mobile phone and Internet access, and battery-charging facilities. Shidhulai has also provided villagers with portable solar home systems and bicycle-operated pumps, each sufficient to irrigate half a hectare of land. The project protects bio-diversity, saves thousands of litres of fossil fuel each year, maximizes agricultural productivity and improves the quality of life for thousands of landless-marginal farmers. The project has been replicated by local community-based organizations elsewhere in Bangladesh and in India and West Africa. Certain steps need to be followed for successful replication of Sidhulai's model; if followed, the project is capable of being successfully extended amongst populations of other waterside communities, particularly in Southeast Asia.
View
Global inequality, capabilities, social justice: The millennium development goal for gender equality in education
Article
  • Mar 2005
  • INT J EDUC DEV
The Millennium Development Goal (MDG) for gender equality in education by 2005 has been criticised for its grandiose ambition, its failure to adequately conceptualise the nature of gender inequality or the diverse forms this takes, the inadequate policies developed to put the goal into practice and the limited measurements used for monitoring. The paper argues for a strategic defence of the MDG as an opportunity to think more widely about what the contents of rights in education are and how gender equality might be advanced. Drawing on the capability approach of Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum it considers gender equality in education in relation to wellbeing and agency freedom and achievement. Utilising Thomas Pogge's taxonomy of institutional conditions for human flourishing the paper considers how global, national and local policy might better measure gender equality in pursuit of the MDG.
View