Bangladesh is about the size of Wisconsin. 156 million people. Nearly half of them cannot read and write. That means 73 million people cannot read. 73 million!
The government has made education a high priority but the country faces many challenges. For example, student teacher ratio is 60 to 1. Can you imagine 60 students in an elementary classroom?
RtR has just begun in Bangladesh. The initial goal for this year is to establish 100 Reading Rooms (A reading room is a library within an existing school.) and provide scholarships for 234 girls through secondary school. It's a good start.
I can imagine 60 students to one teacher, because that was my first grade class in I.M.!
ReplyDeleteHowever, very different conditions, I would suppose. I do sense what you are saying - overwhelming trying to educate such a large uneducated population in a country, as you say, with limited means. Glad you made it! I am sure you will continue to make progress!