Mass Literacy Movement in Bangladesh

Introduction: Nation's development depends on its education system. Development of all flourished countries has been possible because of having good education which draws our attention. But it is a matter of regret that about 45% of our people are illiterate. Progress is impossible where many of our people have been suffering from the darkness of knowledge and ill education. So, driving movement against illiteracy in this country is very important. It is a hopeful matter that many of our conscious and social reformers are perceiving that without mass education, no nation can become a welfare country. After that, government has adopted vital role for spreading mass education.

What is mass education: A well-structured education which is given to both male and female is called mass education. A large number of people (male and female) live in villages. In this country, ancient culture's center was village. So, in an ancient time, villagers were taught through Zari song, Zatra and religious practice. But, it became failure to fulfil its aim to educate the general folk. So, with the passage of era, they remained uneducated and turned into a cats paw of powerful educated men. Without any delay, it needs to be prevented at any cost and real prevention is not possible without mass education movement. For this reason, education should be spread everywhere of the country through media coverage. Otherwise, driving movement against illiteracy will not possible. It is a matter of regret that our mass education system is very poor. Basically mass education is that people can judge their judgement good or bad. A man can not absorb in personal thought rather he should think about the ultimate progress of the country. If any country falls in danger, whole people will fall into danger; when this perception comes in everyone's mind, it can be considerd that mass education is being productive.

Bangladesh and mass education: It is very miserable when a large portion of population remains ignorant in an independent country. We have passed four decades but failed to acquire the standard goal of education. In the era of Pakistani and British reign, the people of this country show their dissatisfaction because both Pakistan and British's reluctant to our progress in the case of education. So, the literacy rate is below than our expectation. And a country is poor because her education system is poor and backdated. So our effective effort for mass education is very necessary. It is difficult to solve this problem having poor socio-economical situation in our country. Because many people are ignorant about the importance of education. Our ignorance and negligence are mainly responsible for most of the people's backwardness. So, it is very needed to implement the right decision and planned idea.

Importance of mass-education: Education is basic right for all. So, it is the state duty to educate all the people. In our country, literacy rate is below than other countries. For this consistent, we have no alternative option to the commencement of the mass education program. All developed countries considered it as a main problem and introduced mass education all sectors of life. And they have got the result hand in hand by virtue of their planned action and implementation of the action. Mass education's main moto is to create nationalism, patriotism and enable common people to understand its art and literature. So, in this way livelihood earning and economic progress are easily possible through proper education.

Motive of mass education in Bangladesh:

• Un-educated people are given inspiration to practice knowledge producing vocational based work. And they are practiced to increase the efficiency of the work.
  
• They are given minimum knowledge to calculate the daily work.
  
• It is important to expose the knowledge through education and it helps to flourish the mental growth with the touch of human activities.
  
• To raise one's duty, right and responsibilities are main motive of it.
  
• Mass education helps the people to introduce globally through arranging movie or video.
  

Special vision of mass education: Primary and mass education minister and govt. have given special importance to education sector, especially primary education, for building an illiteracy-free Bangladesh and for its socio-economic development.

The government for this purpose has taken pragmatic initiatives for creating social awareness and motivation for ensuring quality primary education.

The government has laid importance on rearranging primary education as a corruption free sector with the determination of building an illiteracy-free Bangladesh by 2014 fulfilling its announced target of bringing all children into school by 2011. They urged all for working together for implementing vision 2021 to build Sonar Bangla as dreamt by the father of the nation Banghabandu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and also for establishing a Digital Bangladesh.

Community organization: We can certainly look to the activities of social reformers and philanthropists for working with the grass root level of mass education. Their task was and is, mainly, to promote access to education and cultural facilities. We could go on listening element like this.

N. G. O's role in Bangladesh: The decade of 1990's symbolized a collective effort in attaining universal literacy all over the world. The government of Bangladesh responded positively to the declaration of the jomteih world conference on education for all by making primary education compulsory. At the same time, the NGOs involved in literacy sector also came forward to supplement and complement the state effort with a commitment to eradicate illiteracy from the country by the year 2011.

The genesis of CAMPE is rooted in an idea to take up a popular education movement in Bangladesh. Around the time of the world conference on 'education for all' in March 1990; this idea was mooted by a small group of literacy activists, and a year later CAMPE was born as an organization with a coalition of 15 major NGOs working in the area of basic education. Over the years, it has emerged as a strong network of more than 400 NGOs working in the basic education sector in Bangladesh. Since its inception, CAMPE has been working in close interaction with the Government as well as the popular forces towards achieving effective participation of the people in literacy and non-formal education movement. It symbolizes multi-faceted networking among the government, the partner NGOs and the international agencies. CAMPE acquired a legitimate status of an NGO forum to network in the area of literacy and non-formal education in August 1991.

CAMPE is affiliated with the federation of NGO's in Bangladesh, Asia-South Pacific Bureau of adult education. It is an elected member of the Board of global campaign for mass education, a worldwide network of NGO's and teachers, unions operating in more than hundred countries. It is recognized by UNESCO as an institution for basic education in Bangladesh.

Present activities of government: The government has taken proper steps to implement its scheme really. It teaches the elder people in the mosque, club and the yard of the house. The government provides them with book, pencil, pen and a writing paper by the assistance of international organizations. After that primary schools are directed by two shifts in many districts. For such social activities, many districts have become educated. On the other hand, mass education is raising consciousness among all the people.

Conclusion: It is very crucial to spread education everywhere of the country to educate the large portion of uneducated people and flourish the man power. And, proper and practical mass educational activities are proved to be productive. The government can make it more productive taking the assistance of many native foreign forum. In this case, we can exercise the bright example of Indonesia and Srilanka to accelerate the present scheme.