Poverty and Human Capital: Literacy and Education

Abstract

Basic education and literacy are important dimensions of human capital and essential for mobility and income earning opportunities of the poor. The lack of education will limit the ability to seek better paying employment or to secure alternative sources of income that can effectively reduce poverty and vulnerability of the family. The role of education in human capital development is vitally important. Education prepares people to participate in the development of their selves and of society at large. Educated people are more productive and can enjoy a better life through increased employment opportunities and skill development. But illiteracy remains one of the major social problems in Bangladesh. Although considerable progress has been achieved during the last decades, literacy rates remain low, particularly among females. According to Welfare Monitoring Survey conducted by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) in 2009, 58.9 % males and 50.6 % females aged 7 years and above were counted as literate (BBS 2009). Given the size of the population, the number of the illiterate people is still very high.