Bangladesh : Assessing Basic Learning Skills

Bangladesh's low literacy rate is restricting growth potential and affecting the standard of living of its population. Without any definitive definition of literacy, it is not possible to quantify the literacy rate. This study, for the first time, defines literacy rate in terms of the achievement of a minimal level of performance in the four basic areas of reading, writing, written mathematics and oral mathematics. The minimum performance levels were developed with the help of educators, employers, and civil servants, taking the country context into account. The highest level in each area was defined in terms of basic skills necessary for a person to function at a minimal level of competence in the society. A series of short tests was administered to a randomly selected sample of 5,200 individuals in rural Bangladesh. Results are striking. As many as 29 percent failed to master the lowest achievement level in any of the basic skills while as few as 10 percent achieved the minimum competency level in each area. Roughly one-third of those who had completed primary school achieved the minimum competency level in all four basic skill areas. The approach developed to measure basic literacy should be of interest to educators and policymakers. By offering concrete guidelines for literacy assessment, this study can help monitor progress and provide a measure of the effects of current programs and projects designed to improve literacy levels in Bangladesh.