Enhancing Educational Equity through Transportation Accessibility: An Integrated Infrastructure Planning Approach in Rural Bangladesh
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65141/ject.v3i1.n3Keywords:
transportation accessibility, rural education planning, GIS-based network analysis, travel time modeling, educational equityAbstract
This study evaluated the feasibility and impact of establishing a proposed primary school in Arjuna Union of Bhuapur Upazila, Tangail District, Bangladesh, through an integrated transportation accessibility and educational infrastructure planning framework. Arjuna Union, with a population of 26,888 and a literacy rate of 41.1%, currently has only one government primary school, indicating significant service gaps. The research combined demographic demand assessment, GIS-based transportation accessibility analysis, engineering design evaluation, financial feasibility analysis, and regression modeling to assess how improved spatial access influences educational outcomes. Travel time modeling identified underserved residential clusters, while cost-efficiency metrics evaluated investments relative to the proposed 300-student capacity. A quantitative OLS regression framework estimated the relationship between reduced travel time and increased enrollment and attendance rates. Findings suggest that integrating transportation planning with school infrastructure development can significantly reduce accessibility barriers, improve literacy rates, and enhance educational equity in rural Bangladesh. The study offers a replicable planning model that supports evidence-based infrastructure investment aligned with national education goals.
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