Adviser to the primary and mass education ministry Professor Bidhan Ranjan Roy Podder on Sunday said that they were considering reducing the number of holidays for primary level educational institutions.
At a press conference, he also said that they would do it by coordinating with the education ministry overseeing education above the primary level.
The primary and mass education ministry held the press conference at the secretariat, marking International Literacy Day observed on September 8.
The adviser also said that currently out of 365 days in a year, primary level education institutions have 180 schooldays.
鈥榃e need more schooldays to increase the literacy rate,鈥� he added.
While reading out a paper, ministry secretary Abu Taher Md Masud Rana said that the country鈥檚 current rate of illiteracy was 22.1 per cent.
He gave the statistics by quoting the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics and Bangladesh Economic Review 2024 according to which the literacy rate among the population aged over seven years was 77.9 per cent at present.
In 2023, the literacy rate among the population aged over seven years was also 77.9 per cent, according to the BBS鈥檚 鈥楤angladesh Sample Vital Statistics 2023: key findings鈥� report.
If the interim government were intent to cover up things, it could have shown the literacy rate higher than the one that had been found in reality, said Professor Bidhan Ranjan.
Unlike the past Awami League regime that might have tampered with the data to hide facts, the incumbent regime presented the findings as they were found in reality, he added.
鈥榃e are the interim government and we are working with a very limited mandate,鈥� the adviser said, adding, 鈥榮o we have no intention to cover up the facts.鈥�
The adviser also said that currently the main focus of the ministry was to ensure literacy amongst all for which it was dealing a number of challengers, including fewer school days, engagement of teachers in other activities and a shortage of teachers.
Replying to a question, he added that they were planning to introduce mid-day meal in educational institutions in 150 upazilas from the end of this month.
The press conference was attended, among others, by the ministry鈥檚 additional secretary for administration Md Shakhawat Hossain and Directorate of Primary Education director general Abu Noor Md Shamsuzzaman.
According to the primary education directorate鈥檚 Annual Primary School Statistics, till 2024 there were total 1,18,607 primary educational institutions with 1,66,88,404 students.
Among these institutions 65,567 were government primary schools having 1,06,20,066 students.
