We were not a substitute for govt, created alternative education models: Asif Saleh

Brac has worked not as a substitute for the government, but to create "alternative models" for children dropping out of education, the organisation's Executive Director Asif Saleh said today (11 May).

"Brac aimed to support the development of a long-term, skills-based education system rather than shift responsibility away from the government," he said while responding to a question from The Business Standard at a media briefing held at the Brac Centre in Mohakhali following the release of Brac's 2025 annual report.

He said Brac's school network was much larger in scale during the 1990s compared to other NGOs, but it was never intended to replace the government education system.

"Our founder always used to say that education is such a fundamental investment that if we wait for the government to fully build its capacity before reaching everyone, we will lose an entire generation," he added.

According to him, Brac's goal was to develop alternative models for children who had dropped out or lacked basic access to education while also supporting the government in strengthening its own capacity.

He highlighted that Brac began gradually scaling down its education programmes from 2014 after the government indicated that Brac schools were no longer necessary as government schools had expanded.

At the time, concerns had also emerged that students were shifting from government schools to Brac-run institutions, he added.

Following that, Brac shifted its focus more toward pre-primary education and several specialised areas. However, he said the resulting gaps were later filled by other forms of educational institutions.

Asif Saleh said many students are now moving away from government schools toward private schools, madrasahs and coaching-centre-based education.

"Now we have an exam-centric education system where students are passing exams, but they are not developing skills. We are seeing the impact of this in workplaces as well," he said.

He said the government cannot avoid responsibility for ensuring quality education and stressed the need to move beyond bureaucratic and project-based approaches.

According to him, the country needs a long-term vision spanning 10 to 15 years to build a skills-based education system.

Brac is currently working on teacher training, curriculum development and its "Future Club" initiative to promote learning beyond classrooms, he added.

Regarding collaboration with the government, Asif Saleh said discussions were already underway on areas where Brac and the government could work together in primary education.

"We have jointly identified several areas. Discussions are ongoing about where Brac can contribute within the next five-year plan," he said.