Working Status of SSC and HSC Students of BOU: Impact on Poverty Alleviation

Abstract

In the present day, from national and international perspectives, quality is at the top of most agendas. Similarly improving quality of education is probably the most important task facing any educational institution. Quality of education has significant impact and invaluable contribution to the area of human development. Students, therefore, have the right to receive an education of good quality and quality of education is associated with different academic and institutional factors. As societies evolve from the post industrial era to the information of age, distance education in the developing country has got the central importance and subject to study. The Open School of Bangladesh Open University (BOU) is presently imparting two educational programs, namely Secondary School certificate and Higher Secondary School Certificate programs. These programs are basically providing an excellent opportunity of continuing education to those, who were either dropped out from basic education program, both in formal and non-formal education sectors or were unable to avail further educational opportunities due to various reasons. About 5 years ago two programs have earned recognition of equivalency to those of formal education sector, which has naturally raised a question of quality assurance of BOU programs. The Open School, one of the faculty of BOU is providing two vital programs, SSC and HSC, for last couple of years to the students of secondary and higher secondary level who had not the privilege to complete it through the national system. Through these programs Open School is supplementing the initiative of the govt. to achieve the goal of EFA and MDG. In this context a study has been conducted with the following objectives. • Asses the present status of the SSC and HSC graduates of the Open School in the job market; • Assess the socio- economic benefits of the programs on their personal life; • Assess the role of the programs in poverty alleviation from the society; • Identify the role of the SSC and HSC programs of BOU in achieving the MDG by the government. // Paper ID 117