State of Monitoring and Supervision in Primary Education at Upazila Level in Bangladesh

Primary Education is a basic education for all, monitored by different agencies at the Upazila level to ensure quality. The researcher aims to explore overall monitoring and supervision scenario in primary Education at the Upazila level to ensure quality primary Education. The study used mixed methods with an explanatory sequential design and mostly qualitative approach. It focuses on Upazila Education Office, and other assigned primary Education related organizations and offices; Charghat of Rajshahi and Sundargonj of Gaibandha had been selected as the study area to observe what they, UEO and AUEO of these areas could do and what they are doing in reality. Through different interviews, questionnaire surveys and document reviews, the researcher has explored the scenario of these offices and officers and made some suggestions to ensure quality primary Education in Bangladesh

deliberates quality as efficiency, competence, justice; and articulates quality as the thing that assists the purpose and is consistent with any program's desired goals (Islam et al., 2019). The constitution of Bangladesh provides that the state is committed to ensuring uniform, basic quality education for all. By 2010-2011, 100% enrollment in primary Education will be ensured by strengthening the monitoring and supervision system of field level education office (NEP, 2010). Monitoring and supervision are considered the vigorous factor in sustaining quality primary Education in school, and the objectives of this Education would not be attained without an effective management system (Islam et al., 2019).
Therefore, the government of Bangladesh has engaged a large number of government and nongovernment field-level administration of Divisional primary educational offices to Ward level compulsory primary education implementation and coordination committees to manage, supervise and administrate primary Education properly to increase enrollment, attendance, retention, completion cycle rate of class five and to achieve the entire excellence of primary Education in Bangladesh (Alam, Haque, & Banu, 2021). The country has already accomplished a significant advancement in primary Education, achieving enrollment of close to a hundred per cent of the students, timely distribution of free books and necessary teaching materials, gender parity, e-monitoring, NEP-2010, recruitment of teachers, and different education commission (DPE, 2018). Through different educational initiatives, the government of Bangladesh is not satisfied with improving and ensuring quality primary Education for all. The current scenario of this Education is not up to their expectation (Neazy, 2016). It is a matter of regret that many difficulties and problems that persist. The government did not create an appropriate and student-friendly learning atmosphere as well as confirming quality primary education for various obstructions, and one of those is poor management, lack of adequate supervision and monitoring, want of accountability and inadequate contact time of Upazila level authorities of primary Education in (World Data on Education, 2006). Because of these, we have not yet ensured 100% enrollment and quality primary education for all segments of all pupils and no dropouts, which is also the biggest challenge for Bangladesh (Chowdhury, 2018). The cycle of primary school completion rate is 81.4 %, and the dropout rate is 18.6 % (DPE, 2018).
This study used mixed methods with an explanatory sequential design and mostly qualitative approach to explore monitoring and supervision scenarios in primary schools at Upazila level to achieve quality education in Bangladesh through teachers and teaching-learning processes. There is no research that specifically examines this theme. The research findings will be of great use to government policy makers to take the necessary steps to ensure quality basic education.

Monitoring and Supervision
Monitoring refers to observing or recording the activity or performance; to be aware of the state of a system. This is the process of gathering data and periodically assembling key indicators to count or measure inputs, outputs and processes to report on the functions of elements of the education system (Gao, 2015). Therefore, monitoring is an ongoing function that uses the systematic collection of data related to specified indicators to provide management and the main stakeholders of a development intervention with indicators of the extent of progress and achievement of expected results and progress in the use of allocated funds (Islam et al, 2019). Conversely, supervision refers to when a supervisor examines an individual or doings and ensures that the whole thing is completed appropriately and carefully. A supervisor is a person whose job is supervising someone or something in some schools, a teacher responsible for a particular student to ensure quality education (Dictionary, 2017). According to (NEP, 2010), supervision of primary school employees is central to the accomplishment of the institution's aims and objectives, which is "to ensure quality control through │ 3 regular and continuous supervision of instructional and other educational services". Supervision also involves encouraging the proficient enlargement and improvement of teachers, a collection and amendment of learning aims; resources of training, methods of teaching-learning; and the assessment of instruction (Kotirde and Yunos, 2014).

Overall Monitoring and Supervision Scenario
As educational inspection and supervision are important factors in ensuring quality primary Education, the government should have to make provisions for the inspection of primary Education properly by different tier of officers to improve teacher performance in schools (UNESCO, 2010). Moreover, inspection and supervision is thus a mishmash number of processes, me asures and circumstances deliberately considered with the only goal of advancing the efficiency of teachers and additional employees concerned in the education procedure (MOPME, 2004). Inspection and supervision play an important role in ensuring QPE and researcher aim to explore the overall inspection and supervision scenario of a different tier of educational officers and other personnel at the Upazila level in Bangladesh.

Monitoring School by UEO
Administrative and academic support for primary school should be available from the Upazila education officer, and s/he is the executive head of the Upazila education office to ensure quality primary Education, which was established by the Parliamentary Act of 1981 and 2 nd FYP in 1980-1985(MOE, 1981. Besides, s/he has to monitor and supervise at least two schools of each cluster in a month in their jurisdiction (MOPME, 2004). Moreover, the UEO monitoring and supervision scenario is not remarkable and s/hewill inspect 4-6 schools daily. There are 259 and 73 government primary schools at Sundargonj and Charghat Upazila in Gaibandha and Rajshahi. In 2019 the primary school was open for 238 days for teaching learning activities (DPE, 2019). Figure 1 demonstrates that the UEO of Sundargonj Upazila inspects and supervise 47.62% primary school within 16.42% days among 259 schools and 238 days, which is much less than the UEO of Charghat Upazila in Rajshahi.

Figure 1. Monitoring School by UEO Source. Field Survey 2019-2020
On the other side, the UEO of Charghat Upazila inspected and supervised 97.33% of primary schools within 33.56% days among 73 schools and 238 days which is better than Sundargonj Upazila in Gaibandha. The analysis displayed that the UEO of Charghat is more active and professional than Sundargonj, and the dropout rate is high in Sundargonj, 32.6%, rather than in Charghat, 15.8% (DPE, 2018). The UEO of Sundargonj performed his duties from Gobindagonj, which is far from Sundargonj, about 80 kilometres and the UEO of Charghat performed her duties from Rajshahi, which is far from Charghat about 30 kilometres. During an interview, the UEO of Sundargonj said, this is very big Upazia and there are many primary schools in this Upazila. The post of AUEO's and existing officers are not adequate according to the number of primary schools. The distance of primary school from UE office is about 10 to 25 kilometers and some schools are in remote area. They also admitted and said, we should stay in the working place and be more conscious and serious about academic supervision rather than inspection to ensure quality primary Education. The government should reduce our official activities unrelated to primary Education at Upazila and District level.

Monitoring Schools by AUEO
Assistant Upazila education officer is a cluster officer, and the post of AUEO (1834) was created by the Parliamentary Act of 1981 and the 2 nd FYP in 1980-1985(MOE, 1981. S/he has to assist UEO with all education related duties, such as school management and supervision of school administration done by her/his jurisdiction according to the law of 'Effective School' enacted by the MOPME in 2004 (MOPME, 2004). Besides, AUEO is one of the main factors to ensure quality primary education and s/he have to inspect and supervise a minimum of 10 schools monthly.

Source. Field Survey 2019-2020
All the schools are not situated near this office: the average distance from the UE office is ten to twelve kilometres. Thus the AUEO tends to inspect the nearest and high-quality schools more frequently than the distant and low qualities ones (Mousumi & Kusakabe, 2021). Overall the scenario of inspection and supervision of AUEO is not satisfactory, and the result shows that AUEO of Sundargonj inspects and supervises 78.33% of primary school within 27.34% days among 259 schools which are poor according to the law of "Effective School-2004".On the other hand, the AUEO of Charghat inspects and supervises 100% of primary schools within 39.84% of days among 73 schools which are high rate rather to the AUEO of Sundargonj. Like the UEO of Charghat, the AUEO is also more active and professional rather than the AUEO of Sundargonj. The AUEO of Sundargonj is indifferent to supervising and inspecting schools in their │ 5 jurisdiction, and the AUEO of Charghat is conscious about inspecting and supervising in their jurisdiction.
In the response of AUEO, Sundargonj mentioned, as the head of the Upazila education office, UEO has to take proper steps to ensure supervision and monitoring of all primary schools to ensure quality education by AUEO. UEO told AUEO to come to the office every day in the fast or second half for official activities rather than inspection and supervision. On the opposite side, the UEO of Charghat said their officers to inspect and supervise the school rather than official activities. Moreover, more or less, the AUEO have to conduct about fifteen types of other governmental activities which UNO assigns, which are not related to primary Education and created post of AUEO is very inadequate according to the number of primary school and teachers in Bangladesh.

Monitoring school apart from the UE Office
Bangladesh's government has to manage many primary education administrations around the globe. The executive of primary education structure falls under MOPME; in general, there are more than 18 million pupils in Primary Education. The PMED was set up in 1992 by the 4 th FYPin 1990-1995, and this is concerned with policy formulation. The accountability of accomplishment rest with the DPE, which the Director General heads. This subordinate education office of the District and Upazila is exclusively accountable for the supervision and management of the primary school to ensure its quality. Besides these, local self-government and different Compulsory Primary Education Implementation Committee is also responsible for ensuring quality primary Education by their monitoring and supervision. Therefore, the overall supervision and inspection scenario of outsiders of the Upazila education office is inadequate (Mehtab, 2019). There are about 25 institutions involved in primary Education to ensure its quality from MOPME to Ward level compulsory primary education implement committee. The DPEO is most responsible for Besides, s/he is also accountable for visiting two/three schools in each Upazila, which is visited by UEO/AUEO monthly in her/his jurisdiction. Figure 7.1 elucidate that DDPE inspects and supervises 0.70%, 0.35% of days and 4.76%, 8.34% of schools in Sundargonj and Charghat Upazila. 1.38%, 0.35% of days, 9.52%, and 8.34% of schools are inspected and supervised by DPEO in both Upazila but DPEO should inspect and supervise 3.33% of days and 10% of schools in a year which is poor according to the law of "Effective School-2004". Moreover, UNO inspects and supervises 0.35%, 0.35% days and 2.39%, and 8.33% of schools in both study areas. The above scenario also admits DDPE, DPEO and UNO. They also mentioned we have to conduct different types of Divisional, District and Upazila -level educational activities and do not have enough time to monitor and supervise field-level activities of primary school, teachers and the teaching-learning process.

Overall Monitoring Scenario of both Study Areas
The researcher mentioned that there are about 25 institutions involved in primary Education to ensure its quality from MOPME to ward level compulsory primary Education implement committee (Alam, Haque, & Banu, 2021), and among those, figure 4 illustrate that Upazila Chairman visits 0.35% of days and 2.39% school in Sundargonj, but s/he did not visit any primary school at Charghat. The Assistant Commissioner of Land did not visit any primary school of Sundargonj in Gaibandha, and s/he also visited 0.35% of the days and 8.33% of schools at Charghat in Rajshahi.

Source. Field Survey, 2019-2020
On the other hand, PTI super did not inspect and supervise primary school at Sundargonj, but s/he also inspects and supervises 0.35% of days and 8.33% of primary school in Charghat Upazila. Overall inspection scenario of both Upazila displays that Charghat Upazila in Rajshahi is in good condition rather than Sundargonj Upazila in Gaibandha, which affects in ensuring quality primary education at Charghat Upazila in Rajshahi.

Challenges of Monitoring and Supervision at the Upazila Level
The government did not provide its vehicle for the Upazila education office, and the average distance of the school from this office is about 12 kilometres (Hossain, Hassan, Rahman, Ali, & Islam, 2017). The government did not create a necessary post of AUEO for a cluster (25-30 schools in a cluster, Parliamentary Act, 1981) in an upazila according to the number of primary schools and teachers. Because of this, an AUEO has to monitor and supervise 30-70 primary schools as a cluster in an Upazila. They did not reach all primary schools to monitor their jurisdiction within a year.
Most of the UEO and AUEO did not lodge in their working place and the AUEO did not stay all day long in school to continue and ensure clinical monitoring and supervision of the primary school. Most of them are interested in inspecting school and record files rather than supervising the teaching-learning process (Islam, Rashel, & Sang-Gyun, 2019). The UEO and AUEO have to conduct many out-of-primary educational activities that UNO assigned at Upazila, Union and Ward levels. There is no auditor to audit the financial activities of primary school at the Upazila level, which have to monitor UEO and AUEO. These activities encouraged them to become auditors, inspectors and leaseholders instead of academic supervisors and facilitators of teaching-learning process of primary school; Most of the outsider personnel of (the DDPE, DPEO, and PTI super) Upazila education office do not have enough time to visit the field-level office, officers and primary school for official activities/business. Upazila Nirbahi Officer, Upazila Parishad Chairman and assistant commissioner of land have to maintain different official and public-related activities, and they do not have enough time to inspect primary schools to ensure quality education.
There are four (Upazila, Paurashava, Union and Ward) types of compulsory primary Education implementation committees to ensure quality primary education for all at the Upazila level, and most of the authorities of this committee did not arrange meetings regularly. This committee did not arrange follow-up meetings to ensure quality primary Education. Moreover, these committees also assign to conduct a census of primary school-age-going children, enrollment and retention in school. They will inform the student's guardian to send their children to school, and if they or the guardian fails to enrol the child in school, both will pay 200 taka as punishment. However, these rules are ignored by the law enforcement authority which affect in ensuring quality primary education in Bangladesh.

CONCLUSION
Monitoring and supervision require the officers to oversee, assess, evaluate and direct teachers as well as school authorities to ensure an educational institution is meeting its goals. Moreover, effective and regular supervision promotes a vision to implement change in the primary school system that facilitates improvement. To ensure clinic supervision, the government should provide the necessary vehicle for the UE office and create the post of AUEO for 10-12 primary schools as a cluster office at the Union Parishad level, and the officers should lodge in their working place. Government should recruit separate officers as an auditor to inspect the financial activities of primary schools and make free the AUEO from the tag officers of UNO. The government should provide necessary training to the primary school officers to make them patriotic academic supervisors and professionals rather than school inspectors of police or leaseholder of primary schools.
The study finds that the Upazila Education Office should be in the vanguard of achieving quality primary Education by ensuring the excellence of schools with the help of central to local government, SMC, PTA, different educational implementation committees and communities. The concerned UEO/AUEO should also involve themselves and encourage others to participate in the teaching-learning process and educational activities to implement the law of "Effective School-2004" instead of carrying their weapons on teachers. Most of the laws are very good, but some are outdated, and in practice, those are virtually ignored. However, little gets done to ensure quality primary Education for all in Bangladesh. The study unfolds that there is a huge gap between written policies and their im plementations. The study also recommends that steps should be taken by the concerned authorities to create new laws to decentralize cluster offices in charge of existing AUEO at the Union level by 10-12 primary schools. The overlapping of local jurisdiction should be consolidated, and one agency should be established in each Upazila to monitor primary educational activities. Moreover, the government may provide sufficient professional staff, prosecutorial power and financial backing for Upazila Education Office to get the job done effectively to ensure quality primary Education in Bangladesh.