An empirical study of the role of K-12 formal education in shaping perceptions of extremism among university students in Bangladesh

• In Event: Perceptions, Practices and Discourses in Education

Proposal

Bangladesh has been experiencing various attributes and manifestations of extremism for decades. These attributes include Islamist extremism, Leftist rebellion, Jumma separatism, Bengali ethnocentrism, partisan/nonpartisan vandalism, and lone wolves. The country ranked 31 out of 138 countries in the world experiencing terrorist attacks from some various terrorist groups (CRI, 2015; Ganguly, 2005; IEPIEP, 2019). In recent years, the country has faced some severe violent attacks by Islamic terrorists. In response to those attacks, the country articulated a zero-tolerance policy, banned some homegrown and international religion-based terrorist groups, and conducted several counter-terrorism operations. In addition, the government took some non-coercive measures such as broadcasting anti-terrorist narratives, involving religious leaders in community mosques, and engaging mainstream schools and colleges. Following all these measures, the activities of Islamic terrorism seemed to have decreased; however, many other forms of extremism are still inconspicuous among the youth in the country (Alim, 2011; Dowla, 2013; Islam, 2017).
Given background, this paper intends to present contributions of K-12 formal education in the country in shaping the perceptions of extremism among young adults there. This article is part of my ongoing doctoral research titled “Intersection of gender, geographical location, socio-economic-class in the perceptions of extremism and the comprehension of the role of education in shaping the perceptions of the phenomenon among University students in Bangladesh”. Following a theoretical framework based on a set of post-colonial and post-structural theories about identity and gender along with some caring, multicultural, and cosmopolitan approaches to education, this study was guided by a methodological framework combining Institutional Ethnography and Narrative Inquiry for data collection and analysis (Appiah, 2006; Bhabha, 1994; Collins & Bilge, 2016; Connelly & Clandinin, 1990; Creswell, 2014; Foucault, 1982; Ghosh, 2013; Guha, 1983; Mohanty, 1984; Noddings, 2014; Nussbaum, 2019; Radhakrishnan, 1993; Said, 1978; Scott, 1986;; Smith, 2005; Spivak, 1988; Tagore, 2008).
Narratives on extremism and the role of education in establishing the narrations of the phenomenon among university students in Bangladesh were collected following three qualitative methods: (1) Active Participatory Discussion Sessions (APDSs) (n=104) in classroom settings as part of a short-term brief participant observation; (2) Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) (n=26); and (3) In-depth-interviews (IDIs) (n=14). Using NVivo software, both categorizing strategies (coding and thematic analysis) and connecting strategies (narrative analysis) were used to analyze FGDs and IDIs data in addition to a word frequency analysis along with a few summary and frequency tables were made for APDSs data. All these analyses indicate that University students in Bangladesh are circumspect in accepting the dominant views of extremism (e.g., religious terrorism and violence) although participants resonated the same perspectives initially. They, in fact, feel the existence of extremism everywhere and perceive it as a discursive phenomenon which is evident in different attributes.
While participants were sharing their thoughts on the role of their K-12 formal education, they considered three things: one, whether K-12 education had a role or not in shaping their perceptions of extremism; two, roles of K-12 education that could contribute to either prevent or promote extremism; and three, roles that formal education should play in preventing extremism. Considering these three things, participants came up with five views. First, K-12 education has little or no role on what students understand by extremism today. In specific, students claimed that there was a difference between what they had learned about extremism from their K-12 education and what they discussed about it that day. For example, in their K-12 education, there had been no focus of different forms and various aspects of extremism except for a little discussion on terrorist form of Islamist extremism. Second, K-12 education has played a neutral role in shaping their perceptions of extremism as the elements they had in their education could neither prevent nor promote extremism. Third, K-12 education has positively contributed to shaping their perceptions of extremism through playing a preventive role although that contribution is very little. By preventive roles, students referred to the presence of those elements in education that give an idea about extremism and can contribute to growing a sense of respect, equity, and tolerance towards students of different backgrounds. Fourth, K-12 education, rather, has negatively contributed to shaping perceptions of extremism through playing a promotive role. By promotive roles, students indicated the presence of those elements in education that can cultivate a sense of superiority, aggressiveness, intolerance, and dominance among students. Fifth, K-12 education has a lot to do (recommendations) to overcome the deficiencies in the education system. Here they mostly addressed what the education system lacks and what it needs to do proactively in preventing the growth of extremism.
It is evident from above mentioned five views shared by the students that K-12 education mostly played a negative role. For example, participants indicated that their education had little to no role in shaping their perceptions. Although some students claimed that education was neutral but in fact education lacked positive roles by not taking any proactive measures. This role is highly needed as students already have a scope of learning about various elements of extremism from other sources. Although students indicated a few positive elements in the K-12 level of education which can prevent extremism, those elements, in fact, cannot bring a positive outcome because they are very little compared to many other negative elements there. Moreover, there are so many elements in other formal, nonformal and informal institutes that are continuously affecting them in growing extremism within them.
Thus, from the students’ perspectives, it is apparent that the K-12 formal education in Bangladesh lacks approaches that can contribute to grow a sense of respects, equity, and tolerance among students. This lack led K-12 formal education to play the abovementioned negative roles that could contribute to developing the characteristics of extremism among students or can enhance the characteristics of extremism that the students have already developed from various institutions other than education. Students, thus, have strongly recommended that K-12 education should be guided by a caring ethics along with a multicultural approach that can give them a cosmopolitan outlook.

Author

• Helal H Dhali, Mcgill University