Classroom pedagogy has a big role to play in developing democratic citizens. Henry Giroux proposes pedagogy of democratization that puts particular emphasis on problematizing the threats to democratic values for ensuring democratization. Literature on classroom pedagogies for democratization proposes to promote democratic practices in the…

Education is a very important aspect of a person's life. In Bangladesh, several different types of institutions are available for youth's education, including private schools, public schools, and religious schools called madrasahs. For these institutions to continue to run properly, teachers, students, and a curriculum must be present. A major…

The ideological role of English, beyond its instrumental value, is reported to be immense. British colonial rule deployed English as an ideological tool which facilitated colonial subjugation and religious conversion. Connections between English and evangelism have widened in the postcolonial and globalising world, leading to labelling English as…

This study examined English teaching and learning (Grade 8 level) in Qawmi Madrasa schools, which are not recognized by the Bangladeshi government's Education Department. The study investigated the improvements needed in Qawmi Madrasas English teaching programs to enable students to secure public university admission and Bangladeshi civil service…

Despite the increased trend towards secularisation in state schooling, issues of religion and spirituality have remained important. Increased pluralism within societies through expanding migration patterns is changing the religious and cultural contours of many countries in Europe and North America, and is creating a need for a deeper…

Despite the increased trend towards secularization in state schooling, issues of religion and spirituality have remained important. Increased pluralism within societies through expanding migration patterns is changing the religious and cultural contours of many countries in Europe and North America, and is creating a need for a deeper…

In a context of globalisation and the rapid expansion of low-paid "global" jobs, formal schooling is no longer perceived as contributing to the acquisition of skills that are appropriate or even relevant to active engagement with the new opportunities. Based on empirical material from a village in Bangladesh, this paper explores the role…

Localization of digital content (LDC) in Bangladesh is aimed at the production of graphical and video content adapted for the local curriculum and suitable for use in secondary schools. Teachers learnt how to make PowerPoint presentations into which they can incorporate video, audio and graphical content downloaded from the Internet. Empowering…

This paper explores the distinction between "secular" and "Koranic" schooling and literacy in South Asia. It begins by tracing an archaeology of the distinction between secular "literacy" and religious "illiteracy". It locates the emergence of the distinction in the colonial census of the 19th century, in…

In this paper we present new evidence on the impact of school characteristics on secondary student achievement using a rich dataset from rural Bangladesh. We deal with a potentially important selectivity issue in the South Asian context: the non-random sorting of children into madrasas (Islamic faith schools). We do so by employing a combination…

This issue paper, one in a series that United States Agency for International Development (USAID) produces, provides analytical input to policy makers and practitioners on ways to address the pressing educational challenges in the Muslim world. The paper summarizes the findings and guidance contained in a full report of a three month desk study…