Urban-rural divide in education

If the rich-poor divide has always determined the destiny of education for particular classes, that of the urban-rural one was not so conspicuous in the past. But the rural-urban barrier is proving increasingly difficult to overcome for students. Polarisation of education and by extension society, therefore, is becoming unrelenting. Under a tutor and private coaching-dependent system of education, a few boys and girls from hapless families on the fringes of society still make miracle happen but exceptions only prove the rule.
In terms of percentage of pass and GPA-5 (grade point average 5) achievers in the recently published results of the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinations, the difference between urban and rural schools has been glaringly wide. Whereas in cities like Dhaka the percentage of pass has been well above 95 per cent, in rural areas it has been below 70 per cent in many cases. As far as obtaining the highest GPA-5 is concerned, the gap is even outrageously wider.  Sadly, there are rural schools where not a single examinee has passed.
Like concentration of wealth and all kinds of facilities in urban centres, the best of educational opportunities are also concentrated there to the neglect of villages. Village schools contrary to their past glory can no longer hold back their eminent teachers. The lure of money pulls them out of village confines to settle in the capital and other urban centres where private tuition or coaching centres are financially highly rewarding.
In high demand are teachers of English, Mathematics and science subjects. The exodus of teachers tentatively began in the early 70's but it gained momentum in the 90's. After the introduction of the structured question papers in examinations popularly known as creative system, the demand for specialised teachers reached its peak. By this time commercial coaching centres also started mushrooming under supervision of retired or expert teachers of reputed schools. But mostly brilliant students of the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) and the University of Dhaka conduct the courses. Hardly there are any student who has not enrolled with such coaching facilities in the cities either before or after SSC and HSC examinations. It has become almost obligatory for students to seek help from such coaching centres in order to prepare for admission test of universities and medical colleges.
In an archaic system like this, money speaks. Students with village background are unforgivingly discriminated against. Yet a few students who make it to higher education do so on the strength of their originality and their devotion to studies. But naturally their number cannot be expected to be very high for reasons understandable. There is no level-playing field for rural students to compete with their urban counterparts. This is a shame for a country that boasts quite a number of achievements in the education sector, one being the distribution of textbooks countrywide free of cost on the first day of the academic year.
If qualified teachers are not immediately recruited for village schools, the divide will prove unsurpassable. Good teachers are the number one ingredient for taking education ahead. With the introduction of information and communication technology (ICT), village schools have become even more disadvantaged. This problem should as well be addressed soon in order to bridge the gap between urban and rural schools.