Volume 8, Issue 2, February – 2023 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology

ISSN No:-2456-2165

Educational Discourses of Bangladesh:

An Epistemological Evaluation of Primary Education
Md Nazrul Islam
Assistant Professor, Department of Bengali & English,
Quality Education College, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Ex-Student: Department of International Studies and Interpreting
Oslo Metropolitan University, Norway
Orcid id: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9197-8642

Abstract:- The article concentrates on the overall general achieve in a world where power is thoroughly related to
primary education system in Bangladesh, its background knowledge. World Bank's Learning for all Strategy 2020
and present situation, donors’ behavior, political culture, mentioned that education is fundamental to development and
progress, and future education policy that was tried to growth. Access to education, a fundamental human right
show in the education plan. Quantitative education gets enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and
preference, and the curriculum's main job is to pass the the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, is
students without quality learning in the formal schooling also a planned development investment. The human mind
system. So, it has to create a third space to combine makes all other development achievements possible, from
indigenous and western knowledge to give proper and health advances and agricultural invention to structure creation
quality education. Quantitative education needs to provide and self-contained segment growth. For developing countries
functional literacy, which can prepare good leaders, to reap these benefits fully—both by learning from the stock
managers, and administrators. With an increasing of global ideas and through innovation—they need to unleash
functional literacy rate, a country can overcome cultural the human mind's probable. Moreover, education is no better
values, corruption, and intrinsic factors. In this essay, the tool for doing so (WB, 2011, p. 1).
researcher uses third-generation activity theory, models of
management and leadership theory, and situational Bangladesh is a developing country in the world today.
leadership model to combine indigenous and western It is overwhelmed with the various problems encircling its
knowledge systems to create a third space to overcome the social, political, and economic structures. The five decades
present situation. since the country achieved independence have been
distressing. Recurring political disturbances, natural disasters,
Keywords:- Epistemology, Innate, Culture, Attribution, dramatic social changes, and economic seizures contributed to
Peasant, Indigenous, Transformational, Functional. the depressed nature of the life of everyday people. The loss
of people lives in hopeless poverty in weak rural areas or
I. INTRODUCTION impoverished urban slums. From these perspectives, there is
no other way to rescue the country from the situation without
Quantitative and qualitative entry to knowledge is the quantitative and qualitative education. In this short article,
key to skills formation and supreme to cultivating investigator will discuss the educational discourses of
productivity. Therefore, education, which inspires and Bangladesh at the primary level in the general education
authorizes people to contribute to their development, is stream concerning context, culture, epistemology, and
Bangladesh's most effective instrument for poverty reduction. leadership.
Rahman, Hamzah, Meerah, and Rahman (2010) stated about
the role of education in Bangladesh that, II. THE CONTEXT AND CULTURE OF
EDUCATION
Education is also heralded to reduce population growth,
reduce maternal mortality, increase agricultural productivity, Before discussing the present education system, let us go
higher labor force participation, and lead to democratization. back to the colonial era of the Indian subcontinent in brief,
Investment in education makes a citizenry more committed to West Pakistan (present Pakistan) and East Pakistan
good governance, fiscal accountability, and transparency (Bangladesh). British Government is all terms of education
(p.114). were administered to the subcontinent, so they had to think
differently. It was one of the significant causes of
Quality education is a pivot of supportable development. backwardness in schooling in Bangladesh. In 2014, Asim and
Education permits individuals to improve within their Saha argued that most historians criticized the British
community and country and agrees nations to contest and educational system in Pakistan (East and West) and argued
continue in the universal economy. Quality education plays a that it was designed against identity and interests. All the seven
critical role in nurturing necessary well-informed abilities, terms introduced by the British Government followed the
growing further educational chances that are vigorous to backwardness of East and West Pakistan. Therefore, the

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Volume 8, Issue 2, February – 2023 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No:-2456-2165
religious language had been forced to start its educational
movements. These seven educational terms are social,
economic, political, institutional, religious, legal, and
economic impacts (p.87). As a result, the areas needed to be
addressed in the British colonial era. British regime created
identity conflict; hence they were attracted to religious
education, which was written in Arabic, Persia, Urdu, and even
though not in Bengali because Muslims believed that Bengali
was the Hindus' language (Poet Abdul Hakim's (1620-1690)
"Bangobani"). After the British colonial Period from 1947 to
1971, East Pakistan (Bangladesh) was West Pakistani
(Pakistan) colony. When the Pakistani administration in West
Fig. 2: GEM Report 2017 (Summary, p. 14).
Pakistan made new primary schools, primary school goers
increased significantly, whereas, in East Pakistan, both
A. The Educational Structure In Bangladesh
primary school and school goers decreased alternatively. The
Education in Bangladesh has three main phases -
graph shows the primary school availability in East and West
primary, secondary, and higher education. Primary school is a
Pakistan from 1950 to 1971.
5-year cycle, whereas secondary education is a 7-year. There
are three sub cycles in secondary education: junior secondary,
3.5 three years; secondary education, two years; and higher
3 secondary education (college), two years. The entry age for
primary school is six years. The junior secondary 11-13 years,
2.5
secondary 14-15, and higher secondary stage 16-17-year age
2 are designed for students. Higher secondary is followed by
1.5 higher education in general, technical, technology, and
medical streams requiring 5 to 6 years to obtain a master's
1 degree. According to National Education Policy (2010),
0.5 primary education is an 8-year cycle, and secondary education
0 is a 4-year cycle (p. 6, 14). However, it is still in progress.
Breidlid (2005c) is interconnected with identity and
curriculum. A national curriculum is making a national
identity where specific cultural ethics are promoted while
Total Primary School in WP (Per 1000 children) others are not. Such a selection is indeed very contentious
because it most certainly means that the cultural heritage of
Total Primary School in EP (Per 1000 children) many schoolchildren is not being valued (p. 251). If we create
Fig. 1: School-going students aged 5-14 (Asadullah, 2010, p. an excellent curriculum and education policy, we can make a
14) national identity with a good education. The present education
system in Bangladesh is a tradition from the British colonial
After independence, from 1971 to 1991 army ruled the Period. However, a new curriculum will be introduced in 2023
country except from 1971-1975, and there were various to a limited extent and will be implemented chronologically.
movements when the education system was not prioritized. There are a few streams of the education system in
Then overcoming the military regime, it returned to civil law Bangladesh.
in 1991, and Bangladesh started a multi-party parliamentary
democratic system. However, the political culture and stability
of democratic institutions have been marked since the
beginning because of hostility and continuous violence
between the two main political parties, namely the current
ruling party Awami League (AL) and Bangladesh Nationalist
Party (BNP). Both parties have dispositional attributions
(attribution theory), so they cannot leave out their 'innate
factors' (Breidlid, 2013). According to GEM Report (country
case, 2017), the concentration of power in the hands of a few
people or offices, factional politics in the institutions, and the
absence of opposition from the Parliament leading to fragile Fig. 3: Different Streams of Education System (Source:
checks and balances have had a severe impact on the policy Rahman at el. 2010, p.125).
domain (p.2). There was no accountability, quality monitoring,
or equity and equality.

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Volume 8, Issue 2, February – 2023 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
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B. Primary Education System in Bangladesh C. Drop-Out Rate in Primary Education
The administrative tasks in the education sector of In Bangladesh, primary school students increased
Bangladesh, ranging from teacher recruitment and significantly, although quality did not increase. Functional
determination of curriculum to public examinations, are also literacy rate may be minimal, and many students need help to
centralized. Local administration, as well as public schools, read or write well after completing standard four. The
have little or no autonomy over these decisions. Thus, the need education for All (EFA) program partly fulfilled its target in
for more resources and rigid centralization impedes the Bangladesh to increase the number of schoolgoers. With the
effective functioning of a mutual accountability system (GEM Government of Bangladesh, UNICEF is working to achieve
Report: Bangladesh 2017, p. 6). education for all Bangladeshi children through the Second
Primary Education Development Programme (PEDP II),
Likewise, in the administrative structure of primary which began in 2004. PEDP-II is a six-year-long coordinated
education in Bangladesh, where there is no contribution of and integrated sub-sector-wide program financed by the
teaching staff, they have no freedom to make any decision or Government of Bangladesh and 11 development partners,
even though they have no competency to teach well because including UNICEF. Due to its end in 2011, this program is
of corrupted appointments. The top-down process and macro- being implemented in all 64 districts, covering 61,072 schools
level decision influence almost all fields of education in for a total cost of USD 1.8 billion. After finishing PEDP II,
Bangladesh, and there is no combination. As a result, teaching Primary Education Development Program III (PEDP III) has
staffs are not willing to teach well in their classroom; they pass started the follow-on phase of Primary Education
their time when they take their classes or are absent from the Development Program II, the Government's effort to provide
course. Instead, we must create a third space to combine quality education to all Bangladeshi children in every
indigenous and Western knowledge, top-down and bottom-up, classroom. There is an increased focus on results in this new
and macro and micro-level decisions. Finally, two interacting phase; as a result, the situation is changing daily and
activity systems curriculum settlers can use as a minimal decreasing the drop-out rate.
model for third-generation activity theory.

Fig. 6: Year-wise drop-out rate 2005-2016 (source: DPE)

Fig. 4: Third-generation activity theory (source: Breidlid,
D. Indigenous Pieces of Knowledge And Sustainability
2013, p. 50).
Bangladesh is a monoculture country, and there is no
mentionable ethnic community. Ethnic populations are about
Here the study will show the administrative structure of
1.6 million, 1.10 percent of the total people.
the Directorate of Primary Education (hereafter DPE). DPE
consists of the following structure.
Table 1: Ethnic population in Bangladesh
Ethnic Population
Total Population 15,86,141 1.10 (%National)
(Enumerated)
Male 7,97,477 50.28 (% of
Ethnic Total)
Female 7,88,664 49.72 (% of
Ethnic Total)
Total Household 3,56,175 1.11 (% National)
Source: BBS 2011

The Government took the initiative to include ethnic

people to accommodate mainstream. National Education
Policy 2010 (hereafter NEP) stated that,

Measures would be taken to ensure the availability of

teachers from ethnic groups and to prepare texts in their
Fig. 5: Administration of primary education in Bangladesh languages so that ethnic children can learn their indigenous
(2018). languages. In these initiatives, especially in preparing
textbooks, the inclusion of respective indigenous communities
will be ensured. Special assistance will be provided to

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Volume 8, Issue 2, February – 2023 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No:-2456-2165
marginalized indigenous children. There are areas where the methods and needs of various types of challenged learners (p.
primary school needs to be present. Primary schools will be 8). However, GoB's hegemonic role destroys the NEP (2010).
set up in these areas inhabited by ethnic people, both in hilly GEM report 2017 figured out the actual situation. New
or plain lands. In some areas, there is a thin ethnic population. education policy has come into implementation and needs to
So, the schools may need more children. So, to create be sufficiently reached by direct beneficiaries, i.e., students,
opportunities for the enrollment of a sufficient number of parents, and teachers. For instance, the only option that kept
children, residential facilities for teachers and learners must giving feedback on the 'policy draft' was the ministry's
be created (p. 8). website, which is not accessible to the people in hard-to-reach
areas. Thus, the centralized system has created a 'black box' of
Moreover, Bangladeshi peasant culture has an active the policy process that is only accessible to a few elites
indigenous component, and their primary profession is composed of the Government and occasionally some CSOs
cultivating various kinds of crops in their field. The and donors.
Government of Bangladesh can follow the Cuban native
knowledge system. Breidlid (2013) wrote that, Consequently, the implementation challenges of the new
education policy, including the recent concerns about the
Over the past 25 years, Cuba has established advanced negative impact of two additional public examinations in
agricultural biotechnology and biopharmaceutical industry grade-5 and grade-8, imply that the decisions might not be
and has independently developed agricultural products, aligned with the needs, capacity, and interests of relevant
biopharmaceuticals, and bio-vaccines while retaining stakeholders. The frequent exams have not only impacted
fundamental intellectual property rights. These can earn 100 students by bringing in unhealthy competition but also led to
million US dollars for Cuba annually (p. 143). an increasing practice of corruption in exams, including
question leakage, copying, and other malpractices. As a result,
Similarly, the Government of Bangladesh emphasizes the schooling system has become 'exam-centric' rather than
indigenous knowledge. For example, according to National 'learning-centric,' emphasizing achieving a good grade rather
Education Policy (2010), "to foster creativity and to think than gaining knowledge. Therefore, education goals, on the
faculties among the learners through a system of education that one hand, need to focus on individuals' interests sufficiently;
contains native spirit and elements, and which will lead to a on the other, they sometimes conflict with the Government's
life-oriented development of knowledge of the learners" (p. 1). actions (p. 6-7).
GoB is trying to achieve sustainable development goals;
however, with its vast population and all levels of corruption, Likewise, a monitoring system in the education sector in
it takes more work to acquire the objectives. Here about 2000 Bangladesh needs to be in the proper way, which is why
people live per square kilometer. teachers, principals, and officers of the education sector
neglect their duties. GEM report 2017 showed that the internal
Also, GoB has taken the initiative to reduce monitoring system needs proper functioning; hence, teachers'
discrimination among children. Special provisions like free performance could be better monitored. Therefore, teacher
admission, free educational materials, free lunch at schools, absenteeism, negligence of duties, and other irregularities are
and stipends will be arranged to attract and retain these (poor commonly practiced. For example, a study by the World Bank
income group) children in the schools. Adequate measures will (2011) found that "on average, 15.5 percent of the primary
be taken for their safe protection within the schools (NEP school teachers are absent from their duties, which is even
2010. p. 8). However, more is needed to build up a good more prevalent in the case of head teachers" (p. 7).
nation. In a beautiful country, we need proper and quality
education. Jones (2007) wrote, There needs to be more independence over the teaching
curricula because centralized decision-making procedures
Proper education that much conventional thinking about accompanied by the absence of an actual performance
how knowledge might contribute to an ordered, peaceful, and monitoring scheme generate a culture of apathy among
productive world has centered on two principal assumptions— beneficiaries to grasp teachers accountable.
that education can contribute to peace, international
understanding, and the promotion of human rights, and that E. Role of Donor Organizations
knowledge can stimulate worker productivity, economic After finishing Primary Education Development
growth, and poverty reduction. In each case, the assumption Program II (PEDP) and achieving quantitative success, PEDP
rests on providing the 'right' kind of education; otherwise, III is following phase II. There is an increased emphasis on
education can fail in these objectives and run counter to them results in this new stage. The program, which started on July
(p. 325). 1, 2011, is being implemented over six years with the funding
of some expansion associates, including the Asian
GoB has taken steps to accommodate special children Development Bank, AusAID, CIDA, DFID, EC, JICA,
and mentioned in NEP 2010 that the lavatories' facilities and Netherlands, SIDA, UNICEF, and the World Bank/IDA. The
the smooth movement scope will be adequately designed and development objectives of the projected program are to:
created with particular attention to fulfill the unique needs of  raise the number of children enrolled and completed
the physically challenged learners. Special and privileged primary education,
attention will be given to their needs. At least one trainer will  decrease social and regional disparities, and
be recruited in each of the PTIs to enable the unique teaching

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 advance the measurement of student learning and the teachers, the decision-making process, the budget, and the
quality of the teaching and learning environment. expenses of schools. Accordingly, financially capable parents
 Jones (2007) wrote about donor organizations, move to high-achieving schools with an adaptable
management system. The situation exemplifies a sharp
Multilateral agencies, non-governmental organizations, contrast between the state's goals and persons.
professions, and scientific communities have all joined in a
complete structure of global influence and engagement. Just In contrast, the state emphasizes nation-building
one of many examples was the series of international instruments, and individuals emphasize building personal
conferences convened by the UN through the 1990s on themes abilities to be competent in the career market. GEM report
actively promoted by NGOs and civil society: education for (country case, 2017) showed that parents' involvement in
all, children's rights, the environment and development, children's education is vital for better outcomes. Schools have
human rights, population and development, social an even more critical role in monitoring students' progress
development, women, the habitat, and sustainable through institutional mechanisms such as maintaining regular
development. All of these were mounted through the home-school diaries and contacting parents through home
organizations of political multilateralism. However, notably visits and telephone calls. However, these practices need to be
the Bretton Woods institutions actively pursued their revised in most public schools in Bangladesh. Though
conference agenda, addressing such issues as trade, debt, and informal home visits of the teachers happened long before in
development financing, again with unprecedented levels of the rural areas to urge parents about the student's learning
NGO involvement (p. 330). progress, it does not occur nowadays thanks to the increasing
number of students and low professional motivation resulting
GEM report (country case, 2017) stated that government from low salaries and institutional focus on rules and duties
schools' increasing number of students in primary education, rather than students' performance (p. 7). On the other hand, the
resulting from the MDGs, has made developing a system of successful implementation of a national development program
mutual accountability among teachers, students, and parents depends on the effective allocation of resources in the
more challenging. For example, Bangladesh has a high respective sector. Although the size of the total budget is
Student-Teacher Ratio (STR), with a headcount of 46 students expanding, the overall allocation for the education sector of
per teacher in government-controlled schools, creating an Bangladesh is increasing at a different rate. An analysis by
ineffective learning environment (p. 6). UNICEF (2012) showed that,

However, the education system of Bangladesh is While the total budget increased at an average rate of
continually undertaking restructurings to encounter the current 28.7 percent between 2008-09 and 2012-13, the allocation for
and future needs and challenges of the country's socio- the education sector only increased by 20.1 percent in this
economic developments. In that sequence of modification, Period. Besides, the share of the education budget in GDP is
primary education has achieved many positive developments. one of the lowest in the world. Bangladesh ranked third lowest
Bangladesh has made significant progress in providing more among 78 countries, with only 1.97 percent of GDP spent on
young people with access to primary education, increasing education in 2013, compared to 4.09 percent in Nepal, 2.50 in
enrolment, especially for girls, increasing the number of Pakistan, 4.54 in Afghanistan, and 5.59 in Bhutan (GEM
schools and teachers, reduction of gender disparity in report, p. 5).
education, and revision of curriculum. Despite all remarkable
achievements, declining quality in the primary education Moreover, financial solvency, educational level, and
system, reflected in public examination results, remains a parents' awareness also matter to perform their obligations
significant concern. Bangladesh's Government ultimately towards schools and students' knowledge process. For
recognizes the urgent need to recover the quality of education instance, although schools sometimes take the initiative to hear
and its efforts to create equitable access to primary education. parents' concerns through SMC, parents do not always reply,
However, the issues of access, equity, and quality needing to thinking that their responsibility is only sending children to
be addressed have to be looked at collaboratively, and the school; the rest is the teachers', which depresses schools to take
strategies to address them must also look at the key areas such initiatives. Poverty and less education are typical
simultaneously, not in a fragmentary fashion. More investment difficulties in performing the above responsibilities since poor
in this sector is needed, although some things could be parents need to concentrate more on supporting the family.
improved, hindrances and a scarcity of financial resources. Besides, parents (mostly mothers) with numerous
However, what is of interest to all stakeholders is identifying responsibilities, i.e., work and domestic management, tend to
factors or variables that improve learning in all schools, invest less time in children's homes or engage with school
irrespective of the background of the children that join them advantages.
and are generalizable to all schools.
Likewise, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB)
The School Management Committees (SMCs) could be finds teachers' recruitment as one of the primary sources of
more helpful. SMC members do not consider service receivers' corruption in the education sector of Bangladesh. Among the
concerns and are run mainly by unschooled and politically types of corruption, discrimination and political relationship
biased people. Furthermore, the ineffective application of the are common and influence teachers' recruitment and training
Right to Information Act-2009 needs to ensure that schools processes. Also, UEO makes schools buy necessary materials
reveal all information regarding the responsibilities of from favored retailers, which leads to reduced quality

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ISSN No:-2456-2165
manufacture. Furthermore, the political inspiration from the industrialization, specifically for less developed countries.
local area, the flawed bidding process, short bidding periods, Thus, during the Period following World War II, we entered
and confidentiality of the selection process create what has rightfully been called the age of innocence, which
opportunities to bribe the UEO to get construction contracts manifested in a worldwide explosion in educational
and other forms of corruption. Teachers are even compulsory enrolments and expenditure in developed and less-developed
to pay bribes for elementary administrative tasks such as countries. Concerning the latter, attaining a literate population
certificate attestation, leave adjustment, and pension. employing universal primary education became a significant
goal for many development programs (chapt 2, p. 40).
Similarly, their transfer and training processes are not
exempt from bribes. Additionally, non-registered schools More than a literacy rate is needed nowadays; we need to
often pay a hefty bribe to get government registration. develop a functional literacy rate. We must amend various
Moreover, the dysfunctional administrative culture resulting ideological and epistemological knowledge to increase the
from the failure to clearly define the responsibilities of functional literacy rate. Solely functionally literate people can
employees alongside a widespread acceptance of corruption as overcome cultural and epistemological boundaries. So,
a norm in institutions leads to the longevity of these Steiner-Khamsi (2014) criticized the international educational
irregularities, negatively affecting outcomes (GEM report, politics that the terms "international standards," "21st-century
2017). skills", and "best practices" powerfully resonate with
politicians and policymakers, and they resort to them at
III. EPISTEMOLOGY OF THE EDUCATION particular moments of agenda setting: whenever there is a need
SYSTEM to generate reform pressure. Despite no agreement on what
they mean, these terms effectively function as catalysts for
In this section, the researcher will discuss the change. Even better, they serve as empty vessels that are,
epistemology of the education system in Bangladesh. Breidlid whenever needed, filled with local meaning. Nevertheless,
(2013) defined epistemology as, they are politically powerful because they generate fears of
falling behind in a global marketplace and therefore have the
Epistemology refers to the word's traditional meaning, potential to build, as mentioned before, coalitions among
the theory of knowledge. Epistemology deals with questions of interest groups that otherwise would be opposing each other
what knowledge is and how they are acquired- in other words, (p. 156-7).
the nature, scope, and sources of knowledge. Epistemology is
how people view and make sense of the world according to Similarly, Breidlid (2013) stated that "Western
what they have learned and believe (p. 2). Knowledge has not been developed in a vacuum, but its
trajectory is inextricably linked to the spread of colonialism
He related epistemology and the global architecture of and capitalism and the dislocation of other epistemologies" (p.
education, an everyday epistemological discourse. The global 5). Likewise, modernity has been associated with capitalism
architecture of education dominates great educational systems and westernization in that "progress has therefore also been
in the global South. linked to modernization, most often defined in opposition to
tradition ."Westernization has therefore gained the status of a
The educational system of Bangladesh is borrowed from universal goal and destiny. As may be seen today, the
Western epistemology because of poverty. From the colonial epistemological consequence is a tendency to create a
Period, its education system was neglected, and after the dichotomy between modernity and tradition, indigenous and
demise of the colonist, the people of Bangladesh decolonized western knowledge. As stated by Du Plessis, traditional or
their minds (Ngugi Wa Thiong O'). Donors dependency is one established knowledge also carries the understanding of being
of those. Brock-Utne (2000) gave an example from her universal. If we want to be serious and implement the global
African friend that is equally true about Bangladesh, UN objectives focusing on Education for Sustainable
Development, this understanding has to be reversed. In the
While many of my African friends have told me that the following section, the Education for Sustainable Development
World Bank intends to recolonize Africa by giving Africans concept will be further elaborated to frame Engeström's theory
only a poor and rudimentary education and letting advanced of expansive learning in sustainable development (Ellen, 2013,
knowledge belong to the West, I do not believe this is the p. 3453).
intention of World Bank planners- but it might well be the
effect (p. 12). According to Breidlid (2013), sustainable development is
almost entirely centered on a western epistemological and
So far, World Bank, MDG, ADB, UNICEF, and JICA's ideological framework as discussed among the UN
education for all was quantitative, not qualitative. However, organizations. The Johannesburg Declaration of Education for
WB's current slogan is quality education for all. Learning for Sustainable Development focused on eradicating poverty and
All means ensuring that all students, not just the most achieving a fair resource allocation. However, education and
privileged, acquire the knowledge and skills they need to live training were referred to together with "Technology transfers,
happy, productive lives (WB, 2011). However, education is human resource development, education and training to banish
comparatively more essential in less developed countries, at underdevelopment forever" (p. 70). Education was also noted
least primary education. Saha (1983) wrote that minimum as essential to mobilize natural resources and critical for
education and literacy were essential for modernization and promoting sustainable development. The Declaration has also

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underlined the importance of the environment in sustainable Leadership, management, and administration, these three
development. It implies that Indigenous knowledge must be concepts are interrelated. Models of management and
seen from this perspective. But Breidlid raises an important leadership theory are given below:
issue when he asks; "How do the educational inputs promote
sustainable development?" (Ellen, 2013, p. 353) Human is the Table 2: Models of management and leadership theory
key to national development, in his human development (Source: Bush 2008, p. 10).
theory, Saha, L. J (1983) wrote that. Management Model Leadership Model
Formal Managerial
While modernization theory dominated the thinking and Collegial Participative
research of sociologists, economists also formulated their Transformational
theory of development based on structural-functional notions. Interpersonal
Modernization theory for sociologists was mainly a social Political Transactional
psychological theory focusing on individual values and Subjective Postmodern
attitudes. The economists, however, focused on the productive Ambiguity Contingency
capacity of the human workforce in the development process Cultural Moral
and, in so doing, treated the human workforce's improvement Instructional
as a form of capital investment. Thus, the human capital theory
postulates that the most efficient path to any society's national
Coleman and Earley (2005) mentioned Leidhood et al.'s
development lies in improving its population, that is, its human
six leadership categories, which represent leadership models
capital (p. 18).
in education today. Each style has a different focus. The
leadership styles are defined in terms of influence: who is
He (1983) also argued that one of the first systematic
exerting it, what is it exerted for, and what are its outcomes.
articulations of human capital theory occurred in 1960 when
Theodore Schultz made his presidential address. Schultz stated
The categories are:
that education was not to be viewed simply as a form of
 Instructional: the critical focus is the learning of their
consumption but instead as a productive investment. He
(teachers) students and the effectiveness of teachers'
argued that education improves the individual choices
expertise.
available to men and that an educated population provides the
labor force necessary for industrial development and economic  Transformational: building capacity in the organization.
growth. As with modernization theory, human capital theory  Moral leader: focus on values in leadership and aims
provided a fundamental justification for sizeable public  Participative: sharing of decision-making within the
expenditure on education in developed and developing educational institution in a democratic way
nations. The method was stable with the ideologies of  Managerial: it is also called technical, formal, or task-
democracy and liberal progressivism found in most Western oriented leadership. The aim is for the efficient
societies (p.19). achievement of goals.
 Contingent: variation in response to different leadership
IV. LEADERSHIP AND EDUCATION situations for increasing the organization's capacity for
change.
The quality of leadership generates a significant
difference in school and student outcomes. In many parts of  A Case Study of a School in Bangladesh:
the globe, comprising both developed and developing When the researcher was in Bangladesh, he worked in a
countries, there is the perception that schools need influential school. Head-teacher used to arrange teachers' meetings twice
leaders, managers, and administration to deliver the best a month. The purpose of the meeting was to deliver his
possible education for their students and learners. As the guidelines to the teachers. However, he should have asked the
global economy folds, more governments realize that their teachers how to increase our teaching style or develop our
primary resources are their people and that staying, becoming, institution. He used to supply only his decisions. As a result,
and being competitive depends increasingly on developing teachers in the meeting were listeners (receivers), and the head
highly skilled staff. It requires trained and dedicated teachers teacher was the speaker (supplier); there was no give-and-take
but essential the leadership of instrumental principals with the policy among them. After ending the meeting, teachers forgot
cooperation of other senior and middle managers. Bush (2008) about it and worked with their previous styles. So, there still
mentioned practical and essential leadership components that needed to be an outcome. This kind of leadership cannot give
vision is increasingly regarded as an essential component of anything to the institution or the country's education system.
effective leadership. Emerging generalizations about
leadership, four of which relate directly to vision: A. Culture and Leadership
 Outstanding leaders have a vision for their organizations. Coleman and Earley (2005) mentioned Hofstede's onion
 Vision must be communicated in a way that secures metaphor to discuss culture and leadership. One peels away
commitment among members of the organization. the outer layers of an onion, and more of what is hidden inside
 Communication of vision requires communication of is revealed. The culture onion's outer, more visible layers are
meaning. concerned with symbols and practices, while the concealed
 Attention should be given to institutionalizing vision if innermost layer consists of values. The outer layer is relatively
leadership is to be successful. (p. 3). easy to understand, and the core values are usually hidden;
these are the assumptions inherent in the culture. The inner

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Volume 8, Issue 2, February – 2023 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
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core of cultural values is transmitted from generation to institutions or education systems from education policy to
generation, with the responsibility given to parents, teachers, classroom implementation.
religious leaders, and other respected elders in the community.
At the age of ten, most children have their basic value system V. CONCLUSION
firmly in place, and then changes are difficult to make after
that age. Values and culture may be derived from the national The study has figured out the overall general stream
or ethnic group, generation, work organization, gender, class, primary education system of Bangladesh, its background,
and religion (p. 29). Culture is the mind's collective donors' behavior so far, its progress, and future education
programming that distinguishes one group of people from policy, which GoB tried to show in the education plan.
another. Coleman and Earley (2005) defined the Quantitative education gets preference in Bangladesh, and the
characteristics of culture: curriculum's primary job is to pass the students, not quality
 Culture consists of ideals, values, and assumptions about learning in the formal schooling system. Evidence suggests
life that guide specific behaviors. that the formal school curriculum's primary emphasis is on
 Culture consists of those aspects of the environment that passing examinations and obtaining certificates for job
people make. allocation. To educate a million, we have to create systems and
 Culture is transmitted from generation to generation, with institutions. We need to grade, certify, and arrange exams and
the responsibility given to parents, teachers, religious diplomas — and that is where the problem arises because
leaders, and other respected elders in the community (p. grading, approving, and awarding diplomas can overshadow
30). the business of educating (Carm, 2013). Research already
 No culture is easily changeable because culture represents mentioned that Bangladesh must find a third space to combine
values. The education system also depends upon culture indigenous and western knowledge, top-down and bottom-up,
and values. So, it is not too easy to change the education and macro and the micro-level decision to give proper and
system like Bangladesh; it is related to culture and values. quality education. A new curriculum has arrived in
Bangladesh to a limited extent by creating a third space to
B. The Situational Leadership Models combine indigenous and western knowledge systems. It is
Coleman and Earley (2005) discussed Hersey's possible to change the education culture and values to create
situational leadership model. It gives managers a structured identity by removing corruption. Finally, there may be
approach to flexible leadership tailored to each team member, importance in culture, context, epistemology, leadership, and
depending on the level of readiness or development of each. more research about quality education in Bangladesh.
The leader is encouraged to provide the right leadership style
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