Why schools need education counsellors more than ever
Millions of students in Bangladesh struggle to make informed decisions about their academic and career paths because they have nowhere to go for counselling
Rafi, a Class 12 student from a national-curriculum school in Mirpur, chose commerce because everyone told him science was too difficult. Now he wants to study psychology, but does not have the required background.
"I wasn't aware of which subjects or extracurriculars I would need for university, or even how to prepare for scholarships or build a strong application profile," he said.
Like Rafi, millions of students in Bangladesh struggle to make decisions about their academic and career paths because they have nowhere to go for counselling.
In Bangladesh's competitive education system, the absence of trained higher-education guidance counsellors in schools has become a serious gap, affecting thousands of students long before they apply to university. As academic pathways grow more global and complex, students are left to make crucial decisions on their own.
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Many reputed schools in Dhaka rely on teachers or senior administrators to fill the role of counsellors, though the responsibilities often exceed their training.
"Students come to us asking which major fits them or whether their subjects match university requirements abroad," said Sabina Ahmed, a teacher at an English-medium school in Uttara.
She explained that while teachers do their best to support students, they are not trained in international admissions, scholarship requirements or modern career planning. The system expects them to handle both teaching and counselling, but students ultimately need specialised guidance that teachers cannot provide.
The lack of guidance is particularly evident in national curriculum schools, where students are placed into science, commerce, or arts streams by class nine, often without understanding the long-term consequences of their choices. Once assigned, they have little flexibility to explore other fields, leaving many to make university decisions with limited information.
Rubaia Afrin, a senior teacher at National Ideal School, explained that students not only struggle to understand which majors are available to them in the future, but also to align their personal strengths, interests and career goals with the rigid system.
"Some students also struggle to meet prerequisite requirements for scholarships or competitive programmes abroad because they never received guidance on planning ahead," she said. Students in these schools often feel pressure from parents or peers to follow traditional 'prestigious' paths rather than exploring subjects that truly match their skills or passions.
Sabina highlighted that English-medium students face a different but equally complex set of challenges. Although they enjoy greater flexibility, selecting seven or more subjects at O Levels and four or more at A Levels, they often make choices based on rumours, peer pressure, or assumptions about university requirements, rather than through careful research and informed planning.
Beyond mismatched subjects, these students often struggle to balance their academic load with meaningful extracurricular involvement, research projects or internships, all of which are critical for competitive university applications. Many also face misconceptions about standardised tests like the IELTS or SAT, believing that high scores alone can compensate for weak grades, irrelevant subjects or a lack of personal projects.
But in reality, no test can replace careful academic planning, skill development or consistent preparation. Without counsellors to correct these assumptions early, students continue to look for shortcuts where none exist.
"Until Bangladesh recognises the importance of trained education counsellors, students will continue to build their futures on incomplete information, external pressure and preventable mistakes. In a world where opportunities increasingly depend on informed choices, guesswork is not just insufficient — it is profoundly unfair."
A deeper issue emerges when students pursue studying abroad without understanding why they want to go in the first place. Many go because of peer pressure, some follow social media trends, some mimic seniors, and others simply assume that foreign degrees guarantee success. A counsellor's role is to ask the questions no one else asks: Why abroad? Which major suits your strengths? How do your chosen subjects align with your future plans? What opportunities exist within Bangladesh?
The absence of school counsellors forces many students to turn to private guidance services, but often only when it is already too late.
Raisa Karim, a counsellor at a well-known education consultancy in Gulshan, said, "Almost every day, I meet students who have chosen the wrong subjects or have no portfolio because they did not start planning early."
She added that many students also struggle with personal statements, recommendation letters, and selecting programmes that align with their skills and interests. Some cannot even articulate why they chose a particular major, often following trends, peer pressure, or the idea that certain fields are inherently prestigious.
"Others face challenges with financial planning, scholarship applications, or preparing mentally for studying abroad. By the time students reach my consultancy, it is often too late to correct foundational mistakes; issues that could have been prevented if schools had trained counsellors guiding them from the beginning," she noted.
However, private counselling is expensive which not every family can afford. This creates a silent but powerful divide.
Two students with the same academic potential may take completely different paths: the one who can pay for guidance learns how to choose subjects strategically, build extracurricular depth, and plan for competitive universities. The other relies on fragmented advice or online information, all while competing in the same global race.
This inequality grows over time. Privileged students apply confidently to universities that match their strengths, understand scholarship criteria early, and build strong applications, whereas less privileged students apply blindly, often unaware of requirements, missing deadlines, or choosing majors without understanding them.
Their struggles are not due to lack of ability but lack of access, a disadvantage built into the education system itself.
Raisa noted that in many countries, including the US, the UK, Canada, and Singapore, having trained school counsellors is considered a standard part of academic life, with professionals dedicated to tracking a student's strengths, helping them explore interests, guiding subject choices, and supporting them through academic transitions.
In Bangladesh, however, she observed that students are expected to make these decisions entirely on their own, often resulting in life-altering mistakes that could have been avoided with proper guidance.
She added that the consequences extend far beyond the admissions stage. Students who enter university without proper alignment often face mental stress, academic struggles, repeated major changes, or even dropping out. Many end up wasting years and significant sums of money simply because they never received early guidance. Others find themselves in careers they do not enjoy, a long-term cost far greater than any consultancy fee.
In a country where education is one of the few paths to upward mobility, guidance should not be a privilege reserved for the wealthy. It should be a right within every school, available to all students regardless of background, curriculum, or budget.
"Until Bangladesh recognises the importance of trained education counsellors, students will continue to build their futures on incomplete information, external pressure and preventable mistakes. In a world where opportunities increasingly depend on informed choices, guesswork is not just insufficient — it is profoundly unfair," Sabina concluded.
