Policy-Relevant Education Research: A Study of Access, Quality and Equity in Bangladesh

Abstract

The chapter examines the process and findings of a multinational policy-relevant research project undertaken in Bangladesh and the extent to which it influenced policy and strategy discourse in respect of the national goal of achieving quality and equity in Universal Primary Education. The project was the Bangladesh part of the Consortium for Research on Educational Access, Transitions and Equity (CREATE) carried out during 2005–2011, supported by the Department for International Development (DFID) and involving institutions from Bangladesh, India, Ghana, South Africa and the UK. The research focused on the exploration of the status, characteristics, conditions, impediments and promotive factors related to the access of children to basic education at primary and lower secondary levels. The project comprised of the preparation of a common research plan and design, review of relevant data and documentation, sample survey and primary data collection from schools and households, analysis of two rounds of data, drawing inferences and conclusions, preparation of research reports and policy briefs, and national and international dissemination. This chapter first introduces the purpose, analytical framework and research design of the project as well as the main findings of the Bangladesh part of the research and goes on to critically comment on its dissemination process and policy-related outcomes. The extent to which and how the policy discourse on access, equity and quality in primary education in Bangladesh has been influenced by CREATE’s research results are also critically examined.