Primary education system in Bangladesh: Bridging the gap between hopes and outcomes

A discriminatory or unequal education system can undermine democratic institutions by perpetuating social divisions, limiting informed civic participation, and fostering polarization that erodes trust in governance. Historically, the discriminatory education system emerged as a consequence of economic inequality and various policy decisions. In Bangladesh, standing at 2026, this means an education system so divided that it produces graduates with widely different skill sets, who are largely unprepared for the labor market.

The biggest issue hovering around the education system at this moment is the misinformation perpetuated in society regarding the employment scenario: potential sectors of employment, corresponding wages, and skills required to enter these sectors. This misinformation ranges from the traditional belief of institutions preparing the students as employable adults to the absence of knowledge regarding the sectors aligning with the individual or household's goal in the labor market.

Furthermore, the presence of all-consuming corruption frustrates the potential entrants, whose views regarding the probable wages and skills required to enter the potential sectors are widely skewed by the corruption experienced first-hand or second-hand in the country.

According to Annual Primary School Statistics produced by the Directorate of Primary Education, around 55.3% of all schools are government primary schools (GPS), followed by kindergartens (22.2%), and religious schools (Ebtadayee and High Madrasa attached Ebtadayee), standing at 10.8% in 2024. The difference in curricula among these various categories of institutions creates a considerable level of difference in the skill level and knowledge in general, including their perception about everything. Regional and various other disparities also result in an astounding level of difference in skill sets.

However, there are so many more issues in the primary education system that discussing those will require many books, studies, and articles, which already exist in ample amounts, although the solutions and recommendations are mirages forever. These are all age-old structural issues which require strong and consistent political will to solve. While the problems are multidimensional and do not manifest in the most low-hanging fruits, at its 50s, the country must decide what the non-negotiables are.

The Ministry of Primary and Mass Education granted the headmasters second-class officer status in December 2025, and the salary has been upgraded to the 10th grade pay scale. Photo: TBS

So, what can be done at this moment? Gradually increasing the pay scale of the GPS teachers. If we want our nation to be ethical, have an inclusive outlook, and be patriotic, we have to target the GPS system. We have to ensure that GPS teachers are paid at a level that attracts at least one-fourth of the top tertiary graduates. Every sector fights for the top talent, and the primary education sector should not be left behind. The Ministry of Primary and Mass Education granted the headmasters second-class officer status in December 2025, and the salary has been upgraded to the 10th grade pay scale.

While the move is a step ahead to the right direction, the road is far too long and steep. For reference purposes, it is worth mentioning that an entry-level officer, both general and cash positions in government banks, starts at the 10th grade, which entitles them to a salary of BDT 16,000 to BDT 38,640 according to the 2015 pay scale. For reference, according to HIES 2022, total expenditure per household is BDT 31,500. The poverty level expenditure is less than half of this amount.

Our teachers are already dedicated and working at their highest capacity, but we need to ensure that the builders of the nation are paid and respected to the level that makes it the most lucrative life choice. In a capitalistic society, this is actually a mandatory issue, not optional. This principle actually stands constant for teachers at every level in this country, but we have to start somewhere. We have to remember that good teachers can mitigate infrastructural issues, not the other way around. We have to start somewhere, and the human resources can be our entry point.

Last but not least, the age-old myth that today's generation is less interested in gaining knowledge and learning and more interested in getting good grades and good jobs should be retired. The era that we romanticize about was also an era when most people could not even access education, except for a few wealthy or stubborn ones. We invented proverbs like "lekhapora korey jey, gari ghoray chorey sey" to encourage the masses to get educated. For the majority of individuals and households, education is the instrument to have a profession, and that is necessary for a functioning economy, as long as the state remembers that education is also the instrument to equip the individual as an informed and patriotic citizen.

The author is a Deputy Director, South Asian Network on Economic Modeling (SANEM)