Fig-2: Prioritized Service Provision (PSP)

Based in large part on the success of micro-credit, this approach focuses on activities geared towards improving the economic conditions of the target group. There are, of course, many NGOs who work combining both approaches, but overall the economic one dominates. NGOs tried to link the different concepts as under (Fig. 3):

Fig. 3: Linkages of micro-credit

Interestingly, most NGOs in the seventies started with the more radical conscientisation model, but prioritized service provision in the eighties, contending that mobilization was difficult without economic inputs, and this along with the group mechanism, laid the foundation for ultimately empowering the poor. As per the fig. 3, NGOs link fund with increasing the quality of life of poor where education is most important in their intervention. Now, NGO programmes such as Non Formal Primary Education -- a unique model that has been replicated in different countries. This program is designed to include poor, rural drop-outs and children, particularly girls deprived of formal schooling, the Non Formal Primary Schools teach the curriculum of Bangladesh's standard five-year primary education within four years. BRAC, Dhaka Ahsania Mission, and Proshika with other local NGOs are implementing this program. For instance, BRAC has established more than 49,000 primary and pre-primary schools throughout Bangladesh, with an enrollment of over a million children, 65 percent girls (Rehma, 2006). NGO education programs have been more effective and efficient in reaching economically poorer children, particularly girls, with attendance and completion rates higher than government schools. In Bangladesh, nearly 400 NGOs run non-formal/community schools where every year nearly 10 million students are taught primary education. Most of the graduates do not have the opportunity for formal schools because of recognition problem. This drew attention to the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) and came forward to explore this as part of its technology services to the member countries. There is, of course, something to do for them. Because Open School (OS) of the BOU has the grade 9-10. The problem area is depicted in Fig-4

Fig-4: Scope of expansion of open Schooling

After that the OS and NGOs with the help of the COL to develop a proposal for a pilot which was designed to demonstrate the use of a non-conventional model to provide junior secondary education to out-of-school children who have completed Grade 5 at non-formal/community schools run by NGOs. The proposal was prepared and discussed in seminars, and all indications were that there was support and enthusiasm for the initiative. Subsequently, to pilot the model the donor agencies funded the project, starting in July 2005, through the CAMPE offices. Both BOU and the NGO network has been used extensively to produce curriculum and learning materials and implement the programme, which puts emphasis on introducing vocational courses, as well as general subjects in the formal curriculum, so that when students have completed the courses they will have the opportunity for involvement in income generating activities. The Project develops the courses of studies for the Junior Secondary School (JSC) programme covering Years 6, 7 and 8. This Program relates to two prime MDGs are to reduce number of people below poverty line by 50% (by 2015) and eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education. In fact, Bangladesh is the only country in South Asia to have achieved gender equity in primary enrollment, in large part due to the role played by NGOs. This paper discusses the process of development of the curriculum and textual materials of the JSC programmme.

2. Curriculum Development Process
The JSC is the innovative program of the three actors: Open School, The COL and NGOs. That's why, as it is new model of education, every steps of development of courses of studies that is curriculum and text development are innovative and inventive. The mission of the Curriculum Development Team was to co-ordinate people and resources in the creation, enhancement, and maintenance of a continuously improving set of courses that are to be used to deliver high quality program which ultimately transform non-traditional students graduated from NGO schools through distance education. While developing this curriculum too many things had to consider as the JSC intents to provide cost effective education with income generation aspect of the target group. Phillips (2006) emphasized the open schooling system to be coupled with technical/vocational training where appropriate, in a cost-effective, timely manner for them. In addition, it is very important to consider the comment of the 1973 education commission. Education Commission Report 1973 commented as-

"Education from class I to class VIII must be related to work-experience and practical application of knowledge should receive greater attention than merely bookish knowledge".

As mentioned earlier that completers of grade-5 do not have the opportunity for further education. Government also puts emphasis on the fact that post basic education, i.e., grades 6,7 and 8, should be managed properly because unfinished education is of no particular use later in their economic lives and they remain as a burden on their families and on society. Therefore, special need for provision for training for these drop-outs in particular vocational courses of varying duration. This stage must be regarded as the terminal stage of education for most of the students. It is not easy task to make due provision for employment for all passing out of this terminal stage of education. Many of them will become self-reliant through their own initiative have find employment for themselves. To help spread vocational education and popularize it, NGOs are the best actor in the economy. It is possible to improve fast the economic condition of the common people through the spread of vocational education. Types of vocational education now prevalent in Bangladesh is inadequate and of a low standard. Vocational education is more expensive than general education. The steps taken so far by the government expansion and improvement of vocational education are clearly inadequate. In addition, there is a great want of appropriate books in the field of vocational education and it is no exaggeration to say that such books are hardly available in Bangla.

In view of the above the JSC curriculum aims: (a) to expand and consolidate the basic education given at the primary stage, (b) to develop a progressive and honest personality committed to a purposeful and well balanced life, (c) to supply the required skilled and conscientious manpower necessary to accelerate the country's economic development and (d) to prepare meritorious pupils for higher education according to their merit and inclinations.

Open School used absolutely an innovative way (Fig-5) to develop curriculum of the JSC program. A taskforce was formed consisting of members from the School, participating NGOs, Department of NFE, Dhaka University and the Directorate of NFE to review the existing curriculum and educational materials of the same stage. The committee submitted a report containing the proposal of a curriculum in a month. This committee was supported with the comments and opinions gathered from two focus group discussions organized one in the capital city and other in the rural area of the country. After that the proposed curriculum was presented in the expert level workshop to have the feedbacks and based the experts' opinions, a draft curriculum was developed and subsequently this was approved by the Curriculum Committee. The Committee also formed the syllabus committee for each subjects and they submitted the syllabus by seven days. Another expert level workshop was also organized for taking opinions on the syllabus and based on the feedback; a final draft was prepared and was approved in the curriculum committee.

Fig. 5: Curriculum development process

3. JSC Curriculum Structure
There two components of the JSC curriculum: one is general and other is vocational. The learners have to complete both components for getting certificate. There is a provision for the vocational part of the curriculum that any student interested in doing the any of the course he/she will be awarded certificate only for that particular trade so that it can be used in the job market or skill can be utilized in their own business supposed to be set up after completing the course. In fact this curriculum put emphasis on providing education on livelihood aspect of the country. It also put importance on linking up the learners with formal Secondary School Certificate (SSC) with the intention that they can, if they wish, continue their studies in the higher level of education either in formal or open schooling system.

JSC Curriculum
A. Compulsory Courses- (7)
1. Bangla
2. English
3. Mathematics
4. Social Science
5. General Science
6. Business Studies
7. Religious Education: Islam/Hindu/Christians/Buddha

B. Vocational Courses (any 3)

The curriculum developed for this programme has concentrated in imparting vocational education along with the general education which the country needed for. Therefore, it is hoped that it will be of appreciation from the stakeholders all the time because of its emphasis on the contemporary issues in education.

4. Mapping of text development process
The open school maintains a broad-based quality assurance processes spread throughout the University that is total quality management (TQM). In this way, School's quality assurance forms an important element in its methods of work depicted in the Fig. 6. Every thing went through the approval process. This course approval process includes:

• approving the details of course titles, introduction of general subject matter and detailed syllabuses, their objectives and the method of assessment, the structure and relationship of the course components, tutorials, broadcasts, and resource requirements, and any related regulatory requirements;
• appointing members of staff to all course teams, including course coordinator, subject to ratification by the curriculum development committee

In order to prepare the learning materials, Open School prepares a panel of prospective writers and duly trains them up on the development of open learning materials and appoints them for writing. After the finishing of the first draft of the script, the School organizes an Instructional Design (ID) training workshop for the writers, editors and illustrators with the help of COL. As soon as the ID workshop finished, writers customize the materials as per knowledge acquired on ID issues. There are number of group work session with writers, editors and illustrators. Finally the materials are thoroughly reviewed by the subject experts/validators for printing.

Therefore, text development process of the School includes:

• preparing panel for prospective writers for each course to be offered
• training the prospective writers on developing the self-instructional materials to understand their differences with the traditional texts
• appoint the co-writers from the panel of trained writers and allocating them the units from the modules
• collecting the first draft of the script and composing
• training writers, editors and illustrators on the Instructional Design to so that they can acquire skills on instruction through distance education
• sending back the script to writers for more input based on the skills acquired in the ID training
• organizing group work sessions with writers, editors and illustrators for synchronization of the content and pictorial presentation and also for proper reflection of editorial comments. An editor not only comments on the format of the printed material, but advises authors on the way the information is presented
• nominating external course reviewers for the approval of the curriculum development committee and appointment by the academic council

Fig. 6: Mapping of text development

Fig. 6 depicts that the School believes in team work. This method of operation is intended to embed quality assurance procedures. Throughout the development a course, the peer group constantly monitors, discusses, and revises the draft course material, which is subjected to a process of collective criticism and development. Having work constantly scrutinized by a peer group, and being involved in learning strategies for each course, serves as ongoing staff development for all members of staff and produces high quality courses.

The School is proud of its innovation in curriculum and course and programme design, and the quality assurance processes. Although the role of the course coordinator has long been established, the School is now explicitly documenting what is required to undertake this role effectively, what are the pitfalls in the course development process and how can they be avoided, and how to encourage course teams to access as much information as possible about good practice within and outside the institution. At the same time, tensions develop and trade-offs are made as the School attempts to increase the rate of course production, to use new technology to enable more frequent updates of material, and to be more innovative in every steps of the process. The objective has to be to meet these new goals without long-term loss of quality or consistency.

In the Open School, it is argued that the academic staffs are committed to the team approach, and the end product, in the form of tangible course materials with integrated teaching and learning strategies, can be credited to all members of the team.

5. Conclusions
The JSC programme is a challenge for the Open School. The curriculum is designed with vocational component. There is scarcity of the texts for vocational courses in the country. The School will overcome this situation as the learning materials already been developed. But there will be a problem in getting the sufficient instructor for the vocational program at least some part of the country. The steps taken by the School adopted from global practice, but OS is really particular and individual, because it organized the ID training for writers, editors, and illustrators after the first draft from the writers. In this way, this process of quality assurance is evident in the quality assurance field, where practitioners from both distance and conventional can valuably learn alongside each other.

6. References

Phillips, S. (2006). 'IN FOCUS: Exploring the potential of open schooling': The Commonwealth of Learning.

Ministry of Law. (1973). 'Bangladesh Constitution'. Dhaka: Ministry of Law, 1973.

Ministry of Education. (1973). 'Education Commission Report'. Dhaka: Ministry of Education, 1973.

Asian Development Bank. (1996). 'Project Profile- Bangladesh Open University'. Dhaka: Asian Development Bank, 1996.

Khan, S. (2006). 'Where Bangladesh lseads the world'. The Daily Star Net, Dhaka February 4, 2006

Rehma, K. (2006). 'The biggest NGO on Earth'. The Daily Star Net, Dhaka February 4, 2006