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Metropolis Report –
However, compared to 53.70 percent in 2011, the country’s functional literacy rate for those between the ages of 11 and 45 is now 73.69 percent in 2023.
Currently, 72.97% of people in the population between the ages of 7 and 14 have functional literacy, compared to 60.77% of people in the population 15 years and older. These were made public during a report release event for the “Literacy Assessment Survey (LAS) to Monitor Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Project” that was held today (July 17) in the auditorium of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS).
The BBS first carried out such a poll as a pilot in 2008 and then again on a larger scale in 2011. The BBS did a similar LAS for the third time this year.
The poll, which was performed between March 1, 2020, and March 20, 2023, found that the functional literacy rate in the country for those aged 7 to 14, which is 72.97 percent, is 60.77 percent for those who are 15 years old and older.
For those aged 7 and older who identify as male, female, or transgender (Hijra), the functional literacy rate is 62.92 percent. In the age group of 11 to 45, the functional literacy rate is currently 60.77%, up from 53.70% in 2011.
Planning Minister MA Mannan, additional director general of the Directorate of Primary Education Dr. Uttam Kumar Das, and Statistics and Informatics Division Secretary Dr. Shahnaz Arefin also spoke at the report publishing ceremony, which was presided over by Director General of the BBS Md. Motiar Rahman.
A welcoming speech was given by Porimal Chandra Basu, the BBS’s deputy director general, and a PowerPoint presentation on the survey’s results was provided by Mostafa Ashrafuzzaman, the project director for the LAS.
Mannan, who was invited to speak as the chief guest, said that during his tenure as planning minister, the Statistics and Informatics Division (SID)’s operations have undergone significant improvements as a result of the BBS’s ability to deliver data and statistics with appropriate timeliness and quality. However, more work has to be done.
Citing survey results, he said that the government’s numerous time-appropriate measures were to blame for the country’s rising trend of girls attending school. The Planning Minister further recommended that the survey be conducted every five years and that all deputy commissioners, police supers, UNOs, and upazila parishad chairman be informed of the results for a better understanding.
Dr. Shahnaz Arefin, Secretary of the Facts and Informatics Division, stated that if the LAS could be done every five years, it would be feasible to provide such crucial facts to the decision-makers for the creation of time-appropriate policies.
She said, adding that the BBS would continue to make efforts of this nature in the future, to predict accurate data promptly.
According to the most recent survey results, the functional literacy rate for males between the ages of 11 and 45 is 74.10 percent, up from 56.90 percent in 2011. In 2023, there will be 73.25 percent more females between the ages of 11 and 45 who are functionally literate than there were in 2011 (50.20 percent).
In 2023, there will be 70.54 percent of rural residents aged 11 to 45 are functionally literate, up from 50.60 percent in 2011. Urban residents of the same age group will have a functional literacy rate of 80.35 percent in 2023, up from 65.60 percent in 2011.
According to the most recent poll results, among those between the ages of 11 and 45, 16.8% have no literacy skills, 10.22% have only a basic understanding of the English language, 20.66% have a basic level of literacy, and 53.03 percent have a higher level.
Each member of the sample or individual was required to complete a 100-point exam to ascertain the functional literacy rate, and the literacy rate was calculated using a minimum of 50 marks.
