Schools in Bangladesh are finding new ways to make learning easier and more fun. No one likes falling behind with their school work. But getting help when you don’t understand something can be hard if there are lots and lots of children and only one teacher.

This can be a big problem in Bangladesh where there are often 50 or even 60 children in a class. Teaching methods can be old-fashioned, with lots of learning off by heart. But a group called Friends in Village Development Bangladesh are opening new schools that are changing this. They want to help children enjoy school and make learning easier.

‘What we do is teach a group of about 10 children while the rest of the class gets on with work on their own. This means we can give extra help to any children who are finding their work hard,’ says teacher Hazira Begum. ‘Then, after a bit we swap round.’

It isn’t just small class sizes that make these new schools special. Teachers like Hazira are also trying hard to make sure the lessons are fun. One way they do this is by using everyday objects in lessons. For example, in maths pupils use seeds and old bottletops to practise counting. Thakmina, 11, says, ‘We have lots of fun while we learn. I really like going to school.’

Another problem for many children is that most schools teach in Bangla, which is Bangladesh's national language. But some children - like Slobla and Samoli - don't speak Bangla at home and have trouble understanding it. This makes it hard for them to learn. Christian Aid is working with groups who give catch-up lessons in the local languages so that children don't fall behind at school.