27pc girls unaware of tech education benefit

A considerable number of girls are still unaware of the prospect of technical education, although the government has been giving utmost priority to this skill-based study, deemed crucial for industrial growth and national development.

A yet-to-be-released survey of Under Privileged Children's Education Programme (UCEP) Bangladesh, obtained by The Daily Star, shows 27 percent of girls still do not know the details about this skill-based study and its prospect.

It also found that 39 percent viewed that vocational education is not valued by the family and society.

UCEP that provides vocational training and offers job placements to school dropouts, conducted the survey on 100 women and young girls of Dhaka this year, asking them "Why is females' participation less in technical education?"

The NGO has 10 technical and 53 general education institutes in eight districts of the country.

Out of the 100 women and girls, 30 percent were from formal general schools while 20 percent from UCEP's general schools. Of the remaining, 20 percent were mothers, 10 percent university students, 10 percent professional women, five percent UCEP instructors and five percent teachers.

Currently, 18 percent of students are studying in this field of education out of which 27 percent are girls, according to a government report.

The UCEP survey found the distance between technical educational institutes and homes is one of the challenges felt by 10 percent of women.

Six percent of young and eight percent adult women regard technical education "stressful" and perceive it as suitable only for men. About four percent of young girls and two percent of adult females said the quality of technical education is low.

"A careful review of these barriers and appropriate programmatic actions might help in bringing more females to technical education," said the survey.

UCEP is planning to conduct a similar survey at a broader scale in eight districts.