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lack of training as well as the wrong approach to data modelling and lack of simple user-
friendly interfaces to access and manipulate the data.

145. Institutionally, although the statistics units are normally under the Policy and
Planning section of the departments in the Ministry, the collaboration between the
statisticians and policy analysts is weak. The EMIS staffs of two ministries confine
themselves mostly to collection, production and dissemination of the school census
data. Under BANBEIS, there is a separate research unit, however, so far no analytical
work has been initiated. The first part of the statistical yearbook introduced some data
analysis based on the annual school data displaying some key education indicators.
While it is a good start, a more in-depth use of the data for policy-related measures is
needed.

146. Institutional links between statisticians in the Ministries of Education and other
ministries and institutions such as Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics are also weak.
Stronger institutional links are to be instilled to ensure efficient use of these data to
inform education policy and debate. The ministries do not make use of a rich array of
data from household surveys that provide complementary information on education. The
data especially related to socio-demographic information from various household
surveys and census could effectively be used for the projection of education demand
and resources. The stronger institutional links could foster ways of maintaining and
developing the professional capacities of EMIS and statistical staff of MOE and
MOPME.

147. Furthermore, the utilisation of GIS school mapping for policy analytical
purposes is also not visible in the case of primary education. However, utilisation of
school information maps, which has been developed in BANBEIS for secondary and
tertiary level institutions, are now used regularly for permission of establishing new
institutions by the MOE and education boards. The school mapping is also updated
regularly by including location of new institutions in the GIS map database when school
census is conducted.

Review of key users data requirements and indicators gaps

148. Though at the school level record-keeping seems to be common practice,
modalities for compiling information on students’ age permeate unreliability of data and
indicators associated with age, such as GER and NER. In practice, the collection of age
data is based on age as reported by student, parents or student guardians. There is no
enforced provision requiring proof of student age by birth certificate of student at
registration. There are relatively well-kept attendance registries available at schools,
however there is no mechanism to use this information.

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