Child Studies in Asia-Pacific Contexts www.e-csac.org 2014. Vol. 4, No. 2, 77-94 http://dx.doi.org/10.5723/csac.2014.4.2.077 Child Studies in Asia-Pacific Contexts, 2014, 4(2) 77 Bangladesh has made progress in the scale and provision of access to education in recent times and gender equality is satisfactory (World Bank, 2008), but poverty remains a barrier to education for many in Bangladesh where 40% of the population live below the poverty line (World Bank, 2009). Childhood poverty in Bangladesh is a critical issue which is under- explored in the literature (Shohel, 2012), and it is in this area that this article makes a contribution by providing empirical evidence. A range of perspectives is crucial for understanding childhood poverty and educational exclusion, challenges and theoretical orientations. In this light, the present study presents issues relating to childhood poverty from different perspectives including those of disadvantaged children, their parents and teachers as well as NGO workers who support access to education. Importantly, this study paid attention to perspectives or issues in relation to levels of ecological systems of human development. A better understanding of experiences of childhood poverty may lead to more integrated approaches to addressing the influence of childhood poverty on education. The Context of Bangladesh Situated in the north-eastern corner of South- Asia, Bangladesh is one of world's most densely populated countries, with about 150 million Impact of Childhood Poverty on Education for Disadvantaged Children in Bangladesh M. Mahruf C. Shohel * University of Sunderland Little attempt has been made to empirically investigate the effects of childhood poverty on children’s educational attainments and their everyday life in Bangladesh. Quality education is a prominent aspiration in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), but there are few studies of school improvement in relation to the educational achievement of disadvantaged children living in rural Bangladesh. This article offers a theoretical understanding of childhood poverty and educational exclusion, building on the empirical research carried out in two rural areas to explore the following questions: Why do so many socio-economically disadvantaged children tend to dropout from formal secondary school? and Why do some succeed? After exploring the challenges of childhood poverty and educational exclusion, it shows how the challenges could be mitigated through attention to the ecology of human development in the contexts of individual children. Complex ways in which efforts can be made to tackle the challenges of childhood poverty are influenced by ecological factors within the context of the study. Recommendations for policy and practice are offered based on the findings to improve formal secondary schooling for socio-economically disadvantaged children in Bangladesh. Keywords : Childhood poverty, educational exclusion, disadvantaged children, policy implications, Bangladesh * Corresponding Author: M. Mahruf C. Shohel, Visiting Scholar, Centre of Pedagogy, Department of Education, Faculty of Education and Society, University of Sunderland, Forster Building, City Campus, Chester Road, Sunderland, SR1 3SD, United Kingdom. E-mail: mahruf.shohel@sunderland.ac.uk