Dhaka:There are two main NGOs in Bangladesh involved actively in the elementary education projects and emphasise group learning. The two NGOs are Gonosahajjo Sangstha (GSS) and Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC).

GSS is working with primary age children in urban slums and poor rural areas in order to offer high quality education to underprivileged children.

According to a report by UNESCO (1994), by June 1992, the programme had expanded to 43 schools, delivering primary education to 8,145 children. GSS has developed learner-centred urban and rural schools built on land donated by the community with multiple entry points and flexible school hours.

Each GSS school consists of three classrooms, which can accommodate a total of 180 children in two shifts. GSS emphasises the role of the teacher as well in learning process as in socialisation of the child. It sees the key to successful implementation of its programme in the effective initial teacher training and strong follow-up support. The modern pedagogy based on group and individual learning methods used by GSS are new to Bangladesh and not even applied in private schools.

BRAC is the largest NGO in Bangladesh. It was established in 1979 as a rural development programme with credit and health activities mainly targeting the rural poor, women and landless farmers. Later on, the NGO started the rural primary education programme. A BRAC school is built around the community cooperation, group learning and activity corners.

According to UNESCO (1994), BRAC has over 12,000 Centres, serving about 3650,000 left out and drop-out children between age 8–10 years and 11–16 years. The non-formal Primary Education Programme of BRAC offers two courses of three-year duration; one for the 8–10 age group and one for 11 to 14 years olds. Over 70 per cent of the enrolled children are girls. Most of the teachers are women in contrast to the government formal schools.

In BRAC, each school accommodates 30 children and 90 percent of whom join the fourth or fifth class in the regular primary school. The course for the older children also offers life skills. A village committee together with teachers and parents meet once a month to discuss education of children and other specific concerns. All the learning materials is provided by BRAC.

The typical BRAC teacher is a young married woman from the neighbourhood with nine or ten years of schooling who is given an intensive two-week initial orientation, regular on-the-job training and monthly one-day group training.