Role of School Managing Committees’ Achieving SDG 4 : Quality Primary Education?A case study of two Upazilas

AUTHORS: Md. Ahasun Habib

ABSTRACT:Background and Aim of Study:The ‘School Management Committee’ plays an important role in ensuring quality primary education in achieving the SDG-4. However, there is widespread dissatisfaction with how school management committees are working to ensure the quality of primary education in Bangladesh. The present study has been attempted to to examine the role and responsibilities of SMC in this regard. Material and Methods:In order to investigate, the study applied mixed methods approach? a combination of both qualitative and quantitative methods. In adoption of purposive sampling method, data has been collected from a total of 20 govt. primary schools from two selected districts as the samples for this study. Results:Only 32.48% of the SMC Chairman/Member express that their performance is bad. As many as 46.35% proclaimed that their performance is good and only 21.17% is of the opinion that their degree of success is very good. It has been observed the success was maximum in taking necessary action to check dropouts which was followed by ‘awarding talented students’ in arranging motivational/advocacy campaigns to protect the girl from sexual harassment and also in taking disciplinary action against inefficient teachers. It is also observed that their failure is maximum in taking necessary measures for the retarded students to go ahead at par with the mainstream students and in undertaking specific programs for inclusion of the physically/mentally challenged students. The findings show that the legal provisioning behind the constitution of SMC is very weak. Now SMCs are functioning merely on the basis and executive order issued the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, Government of the Peoples Republic of Bangladesh. Conclusions:The prime objective of the formation of School Management Committees (SMCs) was to decentralize the school process to enhance the democratic governance of the school, in practice it did not happen.