The Role of Non-Formal Education in Preventing Social Deviance: A Qualitative Study on Selected Urdu-Speaking Bihari Camps in Dhaka City

Non-formal education refers to educational programs designed to help learners who may not have had the opportunity to obtain formal education or basic reading and writing skills, addressing a range of community issues. Social deviance encompasses wrongdoing ranging from minor infractions to the most serious crimes, often associated with social exclusion, limited resources, and opportunities. The Biharis are an ethnic minority. They moved to Bangladesh in 1947. They live in camps. For years, they could not get an education or jobs. This marginalization leaves them more vulnerable to involvement in deviant behaviour such as drug misuse, theft, and violent crime. In this context, the present study aims to examine the role of non-formal education in reducing social deviance within the Bihari camps, focusing on the Kalshi, Mohammadpur, and Mirpur-11 camps in Bangladesh. The research employed a qualitative phenomenological methodology, and data collection was conducted through in-depth interviews with 30 participants, sampled using convenience and snowball sampling methods. The data collected suggests a significant finding: the absence of skills training and awareness leads to the involvement of Bihari communities in social deviant activities. Vocational education, life skills, and community-oriented programs are shown to play a key role in this regard. Other transformational effects of NFE interventions result from a transformed value system that supports households and communities in escaping poverty and preventing social deviance.