Ecological Framework for Primary School Attainment in Ethnic Minority Children in Bangladesh

Abstract

Ecological framework suggests that poor family socieconomic status and school social capital have negative influences on young children’s proper development, social well-being, and primary school attainment. Using representative sample (young children) aged 5–12 from northwestern primary schools this study examines whether or not family (origin of family, lower socioeconomic status, limited resources), and poor school social capital (language problem, poor social relation with classmate and teacher, and teacher punishment in classroom) are significantly related to primary school attainment (late enrollment and irregular class attendance) in tri-ethnic (e.g., Santal, Oraon & Hindu) children in rural Bangladesh. Applying binary logistic regression results indicate that late enrollement and irregular class attendance are significantly associated with their poor family SES and school social factors. Of the predicting factors, ethnic identity is positively related to late enrollment and irregular class attendance, but lower family income is negatively related to late primary school enrollment. In addition, landlessness and teacher’s punishment are negatively linked to irregular class attendance among the ethnic children in rural Bangladesh. Despite some limitations: randomization and causal or interaction effects of family and school factors by ethnic identity on children’s primary school attainment, the findings may have social policy implications in tri-ethnic children’s primary school attainment, improving ethnic identity status, family SES, and school social capital.