Beyond grades: HSC results reveal a deeper crisis of unemployability

The Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) results were published on Thursday, revealing a grim picture of our education system.

More than 1.25 million students took part in the HSC and equivalent exams this year. The national average pass rate across the 11 education boards stood at just 58.83%, marking a 21-year low. Nearly 508,701 students failed to clear the exams.

But the problem runs deeper than grades. Every year, thousands lose themselves on pieces of paper, yet they remain unprepared for the job market. 

Those who perform worse than expected often drop out altogether. Their entry into a sluggish job market only worsens the unemployment crisis, leaving many young men and women frustrated and disillusioned.

When foreign investors visit our economic zones, their first question is rarely about land or tax incentives; it is about skilled manpower. Too often, we cannot offer a confident answer. Our youth are intelligent and energetic, yet inadequately trained for the demands of a global economy. The bridge between academic learning and practical skill remains only half built.

The missing link between certificate and competence

In late 2024, Bangladesh's unemployment rate rose to 4.63%, leaving around 2.7 million people without jobs. Nearly 28% of graduates from colleges affiliated with the National University remain unemployed — a figure that has tripled over the past decade. 

Ironically, the more educated many young people are, the less employable they seem to be.

This paradox has a clear cause. Schools and colleges have become commercial hubs for certificates rather than centres of creativity. Students pass through an endless cycle of exams, coaching centres, and private tutoring — emerging with degrees, but with little ability to solve problems or adapt to change.

A personal reflection

Having served in the army for decades and later in national industrial development, I have witnessed this problem from multiple fronts. 

In the army, education meant readiness and discipline — not merely passing tests, but mastering responsibility. In industry, I often meet bright young graduates who struggle to operate modern machines or adapt to digital systems.

When foreign investors visit our economic zones, their first question is rarely about land or tax incentives; it is about skilled manpower. Too often, we cannot offer a confident answer. Our youth are intelligent and energetic, yet inadequately trained for the demands of a global economy. The bridge between academic learning and practical skill remains only half built.

The broader implications 

A growing number of graduates are now struggling to find employment, as job opportunities remain low compared to the number of job seekers. This imbalance has created a new norm of underemployment, where qualified individuals are forced to accept low-paying or mismatched jobs.

Students from rural areas face even greater challenges. Poor infrastructure, unstable internet connectivity, and a shortage of trained teachers put them at a clear disadvantage. These gaps are reflected in their academic performance, deepening the rural-urban divide.

When years of hard work fail to translate into real opportunities, frustration inevitably follows. The growing discontent among educated youths is evident in campus protests and the rising chorus of complaints across social media.

At the same time, the culture of education itself is eroding. An exam-obsessed system values cut-off scores over curiosity, encouraging cheating, dependence on coaching centres, and grade anxiety — all of which corrode the ethical foundations of learning.

A 'now or never' opportunity for reform  

It is time for Bangladesh to reimagine education as a national mission rather than an administrative routine. 

The curriculum must be modernised to move beyond rote learning and instead nurture digital literacy, critical thinking, climate awareness, and entrepreneurship from the secondary level. Teachers should be empowered through continuous training, better pay, and professional recognition so that teaching once again becomes a respected and aspirational career.

Education must be meaningfully connected with industry. Establishing internship programmes and shared training hubs within economic zones can give students the practical exposure they need to enter the workforce with confidence. 

At the same time, technological and vocational education should be made both accessible and aspirational, encouraging young people to see skills-based learning as a path to dignity and success.

Ensuring equity is equally vital. Bridging the urban–rural divide will require investments in digital laboratories, scholarships, and reliable internet access for schools in rural areas. 

Finally, the assessment system must be redesigned to integrate examinations with research, projects, and creativity-based evaluations — so that learning once again becomes a process of discovery, not mere memorisation.

The latest HSC results do not indicate that the young generation has failed, but it indicates a dated system. Education has turned into a certificate race, yet education must be a route to ability and personality.

Unless we take heed to this warning our country will be subject to an increasingly heavy burden of educated unemployment. However, when we are visionary, brave, and caring, we can make out of this point a pivotal one.

We shall not simply count who died and who did not die to-day. Rather, we should recreate a system in which all students will learn to think, create and contribute. The outcomes of tomorrow must assess growth — not grades.

Md Nazrul Islam is a former executive chairman of BEPZA and executive member (Planning & Development) of BEZA.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Business Standard.