Bangladesh Open University
Bangladesh Open University (BOU) is the only distance education institution in Bangladesh. In October 1992, the BOU was formally recognized by an Act passed in the National Parliament. Although BOU was established in 1992, the history of distance education in Bangladesh goes back to about fifty years. In 1956, the then Director of Public Instruction had already understood the significance of distance education and in 1957, the Education Reform Commission recommended that a correspondence school be established on a trial basis for students eager to receive education without attending regular classes.
In 2021, BOU introduced 60 formal and 19 non-formal programmes for more than 300 courses. Many more courses are being launched. To run programmes effectively, six schools/faculties and 12 Regional Resource Centres (academic divisions) have been set up. Its educational programmes have been strengthened by setting up 12 regional resource centres, 80 local centres and 1550 study centres to facilitate its academic activities. In 2020, the number of students in all formal programmes was 965838 in the BOU. The core team of employees of the university in its main establishments at Gazipur near Dhaka includes 137 teachers and more than 500 support personnel. Although classroom teaching does not come within the purview of distance education, BOU has introduced a tutorial system of teaching at more than 1,000 centres to help enhance learners' applied knowledge. The curriculum based non-formal programmes are aimed at creating awareness among the general people through radio and TV programmes. [Kazi Md. Jamshed]
References Bangladesh Open University website.
See also distance education.
