Author: Bhabhani Dewan
Dewan, Bhabhani, 2018 A Gendered Analysis of the Impact of Poverty on Educational Progression Rates in Bangladesh, Flinders University, College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
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Education is the backbone of a nation and a tool for producing qualified citizens, and for promoting equality. Education makes individuals aware of their rights, duties and obligations to community, to society and to the nation. Unfortunately, education is not accessible to all due to poverty. The impact of poverty on education is huge as it impedes educational progression and hampers well-being. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the impacts of poverty on educational progression in Bangladesh. The study uses a gender-based approach to examine the different impact poverty has on educational access for boys and girls in Bangladesh. This thesis is a secondary qualitative research paper based on available qualitative data on education. Bangladesh is a male-dominated society where a boy is thought to be a future earner who will take care of his aged parents, while a daughter is viewed as a financial burden. In this regard, poverty forces boys to earn an income, while girls are to be married off at an early age. Boys’ child labour and girls’ early marriage are obstacles to educational progression. As a result, boys and girls drop out of education with poor educational achievements. The study found that though many laws exist for eliminating male child labour and early female marriage, they are not enforced, with few prosecutions recorded. Several government and Non-Government Organisation (NGO) programs are aimed at increasing the participation of children at primary and secondary levels of education by reducing child labour and delaying early marriage. Though the programs have had a positive impact on children’s education, the coverage and outcomes are poor.
Keywords: Education, Poverty, Bangladesh
Subject: International Relations thesis
Thesis type: Masters
Completed: 2018
School: College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
Supervisor: Michael Barr