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and GIS School Mapping system, generation of education statistics, and publication of
the survey report. In 2001 and 2003, the database and school mapping were updated
through collecting data directly from the institutions, with DEOs and Thana Project
Officers of Stipend Project responsible as Coordinators and Enumerators respectively.

32. Regarding primary education statistics, the data were not disseminated and
published up to the year 1999. Although the monitoring and evaluation unit of DPE
collected and processed the data, they were kept for internal official use only. In the
year 2000, DPE published a summary report on primary education statistics. More
comprehensive and detailed statistics were published in 2001. However, the statistics
for the year 2002 and 2003 have yet to be published.

Education Strategic Plan and EMIS development prospect

33. The Education Strategic Plan aims to address the country’s international
commitments, i.e. EFA plan of action, Millennium Development Goals, the Children
Rights Convention and the International Rights Convention, as well as national strategic
policy frameworks. To this end, the Government of Bangladesh has undertaken various
approaches, programmes and projects. The government has also taken effective
measures to expand and improve the quality of primary, secondary and tertiary
st
education so that it could meet the needs of the 21 century. Technical and vocational
programmes have also been given priorities as an instrument for self-employment. In
the development plans of the country, the overarching priorities for action in the
education sector are categorised under the headings of: (a) access and equity; (b)
quality of education including its relevance to the overarching development concern of
poverty alleviation; (c) governance and management of education; and (d) adequacy of
resources and their effective use.

34. In the abovementioned priorities of action under the strategic plan – for the
governance and management of education, assessment of access and equity and the
quality of education – the development of a sustainable and effective EMIS is one of the
priorities. An effective EMIS, capable of producing reliable data and indicators that are
relevant, accurate and timely to support policy formulation and planning as well as
monitoring, evaluation and management of the activities concerned, is needed. The
prospects are good and present status of EMIS development in Bangladesh is
progressing. The MIS unit of the Directorate of Primary Education has developed a
decentralised EMIS at the district level, but the information is not disseminated for public
use. BANBEIS has developed a centralised EMIS with the integration of GIS school
mapping and the information of database disseminated for all users, i.e. Ministry of
Education, Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, International and National agencies
and the donor agencies. However decentralisation is yet to be established.

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