54. Diverse Streams of Education: Although ensuring quality and effective education at each level of education system was one of the core objectives set by the Education Policy 2010,73 in practice, diverse streams of education stand out in Bangladesh as impediments to the realization of this objective. The diverse streams of education embody Bangladesh’s policy of ensuring public education according to the EFA standards. Except for the curriculum designed by the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) that comprises the mainstay of public education, there is Madrasa education based on religious teachings administered separately by the Madrasa Board and the private English medium schools. In fact, English medium schools and Madrasas have become invariably the alternatives to State provided primary and secondary public education. Each stream of education follows its own curriculum which is substantially different from the others. Since the curriculum distinguishes the streams, the students growing up in different courses seem to adhere to different values and morals which could ultimately color their perceptions, ideas and capacities or result in disparities in the quality of education. At the tertiary level of education, board curriculum students are relatively well prepared as compared to Madrassa students who frequently face discrimination due to their unsynchronized examination system, while English medium students are often ill-equipped for public examinations challenges and may also face discrimination from certain Bangla medium counterparts.74 55. The BNHRC notes that the GoB had not taken sufficient measures to implement the recommendations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child that the length of compulsory education should be extended. According to the BNHRC, the diverse streams of education system continue to hinder a sense of unity and equality among children. As such, education for human development as required by the Convention has been compromised. The BNHRC is of the view that it would be very difficult to realize the objectives of education as enunciated in article 29 of CRC through the existing education system. 56. RECOGNITION OF RIGHTS OF THE MINORITY CHILDREN The BNHRC has observed that although the Constitution of Bangladesh, the Small Ethnic Group Cultural Institution Act 2010 and the National Children Policy 2011 provide for protecting and developing the unique local cultures, traditions and languages of the tribes, minor races, ethnic sects, the GoB has provided only nominal information on the measures taken under the aforementioned laws and policy as regards the rights of the minority children to enjoy their culture. Moreover, the Fifth Periodic State Party Report did not provide information about the minority children’s right to professing and practising religion and use of their own languages. 73 See Arpeeta Shams Mizan and Muhammad Rezaur Rahman, Study Report on Diverse Streams of Education in Bangladesh and Realization of the Right to Education, NHRC-BD, 2012, p. 51. 74 Ibid, pp. 36-40. 22