Can we copy exactly 24 Govt schools of Dhaka City to 48?

The authorities of the 24 Dhaka city schools have sold 36,532 forms against 7,479 seats available for admission to different classes in 2008 academic year. The 24 schools are divided into three groups — Group A, B and C — on the basis of their location and quality of education to some extent.

The Group A schools are: Government Laboratory High School, Mirpur Government High School, Motijheel Government Girls’ High School, Khilgaon Government High School, Nawabpur Government High School, New Government Girls’ High School, Islamia Government High School and Mohammadpur Government High School.

The Group B schools are: Motijheel Government Boys’ High School, Narinda Government High School, Government Muslim High School, Banglabazar Government Girls’ High School, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Government Boys’ School, Government Bigyan College Adjacent High School, Tejgaon, Dhanmondi Government Girls’ High School and Dhanmondi Qamrunnesa Government Girls’ High School.

The Group C schools are: Armanitola Government High School, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Government Girls’ High School, Dhaka Collegiate School, Ganabhaban Government High School, Tikatuli Qamrunnisa Government Girls’ School, Tejgaon Government Girls’ High School, Tejgaon Government High School and Dhanmondi Government Boys’ High School.

The successful candidates of the admission tests to 24 public schools in the Dhaka City have completed their admission on January 29 and 31

Now the “admission war” to get into a good school is over, we as parents, educators and administrators can take a deep breathe. We may ask ourselves “can we do better?” It would be unfair to say that we do not have socially responsible business community or NGO, not to mention social development partner in the city. Than why are we not getting it?

Competition is good; it is the prerequisite of better performance in every segment of life. However, 36,532 applications against 7,479 seats is not competition. It is a problem.

In traditional business concept this would open up a tremendous opportunity as demand is 500% of the supply. However, this is not a business sector as we know it. If this were a business sector than it could be best explained in latest buzz word of “social business”.

There may be a lot of teachers in these so called “Group A, B, C” school who would love to take the challenges of replicating the achievements’ in a new franchise branch of these schools. A simple formulation of growth path for their careers might encourage those educators to thrive for the higher goals. I am sure there are Social entrepreneurs in the city who are highly enthusiastic to contribute in education sector.

The demand is here, the entrepreneurs’ are standing by only thing is missing here is a framework of policy. Simplier the policies are, better the performance will it bring.

I would urge the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education to shed some light on this. Ministry of education may open up the path to “social business entrepreneurs’” to capitalize the franchising opportunity in the high school education sector.

There are only 317 secondary schools available in all over Bangladesh are govt out of a total 18183 secondary schools. What it means is that privatization is not the issue here. The real reason is the “Brand power”. “Copy exactly” will utilize that energy into result.

The best qualified for this job would be the existing teachers who are running these “Star” schools, the “Group A, B, C” schools. Can civil society, policy makers, entrepreneurs’, administrators as well as concern citizen come together and empower the “Stars” of the :Group A, B, C schools to use “Brand Power” and “copy exactly”?

Lat us take a baby step. Can we turn “Government Laboratory High School” to Government Laboratory High School 1 and Government Laboratory High School 2.
Split the teachers into 2 and bring new graduated from University to fill the other half?

To ease the nightmare of the parents, can we copy exactly 24 Govt schools of Dhaka City to 48?