Open and Distance Learning for Sustainable Development

Distance education provided a ray of hope for her. So Mina enrolled for schooling through the
distance mode.
The course materials that BOU provided were satisfactory, and she had no difficulty negotiating
them. She had no classes to attend and only went to a designated centre for taking her exam and
attended tutorial classes twice a month. She received academic help from the tutorial centres and
her course mates. It seemed like a place of social gathering.
This year, she wrote her SSC exam. She prepared herself for exams after 11 p.m. after finishing
all her domestic duties. During this interview, she started crying to say that she was experiencing
many difficulties without any cooperation from her husband. She expressed her desire to continue
her study through distance learning. She said that distance mode of education had helped her to
rebuild her life according to her desire. She also believed that after finishing her study, she would
be able to help her children in their education. She believed that distance education could help
anybody who has social and religious barriers to cross.
Case 3 – Fatema: Overcoming barriers
Fatema is from Khulna. She was the fourth of six children in the family. Her father was the only
breadwinner of the entire family. Her father was finding it difficult to carry on the education of
the children. Fatema’s mother knew how to teach people to read the Qu’ran. To help support the
family, she took a job of teaching the Qu’ran to some female students. She received a meagre
wage, but it helped to buy books and school items for her children. Fatema had to do the
household chores when her mother was away from home. She had to cook and take care of her
younger brothers and sisters. She was spending more time with household activities. This led to
her failure in the SSC exam though she was not a bad student. She felt disheartened. She thought
that it would be humiliating to go back and sit in the same class for another year while her other
friends would be seniors. But Fatema’s parents were very positive in their attitude about her
study. Though her mother was not well educated, she believed that education should be a prior
concern to everybody, especially for women because their lives are unpredictable.
Fatema was so frustrated that she did not want to study further. She got engaged in spiritual
matters and in domestic works. Her mother encouraged her to start her studies again. She had
heard about the potential use of distance education through her relatives. She had collected more
information from the nearest regional centre of BOU. Despite many difficulties Fatema started her
education again through distance education. When she first began her new studies, she was afraid
of coping with the different mode of education. Slowly she overcame her apprehension. Apart
from her knowledge, she gained self-confidence and self-reliance. The social contact through the
tutorial centres had broadened her outlook. The course materials of BOU are according to
standard and the needs of the students. The books are written in such a manner that a student can
help herself. The only difficulty Fatema faced was that the tutorial centre was far away from her
house. Last year, she passed her SSC exam successfully. She is now eager to continue her study,
because she has learnt from her experience that there is no alternative to education. She believes
that only due to strong will power and self-respect can one gain some valuable things in life.
It is her message to other deprived girls that age and social barriers are not any problem for
education. It is possible to be educated in all stage of life. She wishes that BOU will provide
women with more facilities and opportunities with which they can enrich themselves through
education. She also hopes that, if tuition fees for women can be reduced, then it will encourage
more of them to participate in distance education.
Case 4 – Rokeya: Coming out of the mute life
Rokeya is from Jessore. She was born in a conservative family 23 years ago. She is from the
lower middle class. Her father is the only earning member of the family. She has two brothers and
one younger sister. Her father works as a clerk in a bank. Her mother is a housewife, who
engages in the stereotypical role of wife. Rokeya’s eldest brother went to secondary school and
the other brother went to a primary school. Her childhood memories were bitter experiences
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