Bangladesh is generally known for its high population density (over 800 persons per square kilometre), high population growth rate (1.8 per cent per annum), endemic poverty (per capita GNP about $ 240) and high rate of adult illiteracy (58 per cent). However, in recent years some innovative programmes of basic education have been initiated in the country to tackle the overwhelming problem of illiteracy.
Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy of Bangladesh, and 80 per cent of around 120 million people live in 86,000 villages. The population is basically rural, but urbanisation is growing at the rate of 5 per cent per annum, which is almost three times the population growth rate. The main reason for the high rate of urbanisation is the shifting of the rural population to the cities in search of jobs, creating a large number of slums in urban centres.
The impact of the Jomtien World Conference on Education for All (WCEFA) held in March 1990, which promoted an expanded vision of basic education with the aim of meeting the basic learning needs of all children, youths and adults, has been felt in Bangladesh. As a result, a Compulsory Primary Education Act was passed in 1990 and, in January 1992, the government launched the Compulsory Primary Education (CPE) programme in 68 out of 460 thana s in the country. This programme has been extended nation-wide since January 1993. About the same time, in 1992, the government made rural primary education free for girls up to grade 8, and a new Primary and Mass Education Division (PMED) was created under the Prime Minister’s Secretariat to strengthen the management of primary education and non-formal education programmes.
The national EFA programme was officially launched in March 1992. A project called Expansion of Integrated Non-formal Education Programme (INFEP) was also initiated; this has recently been upgraded into the Directorate of Non-formal Education. In 1993 the government launched the