Fragmented education system, shattered dreams

Surprisingly, the Bangladeshi education system comprises more than eleven distinct streams, making it a uniquely complex example globally. 

These include: kindergarten; Bangla medium schools (both government and non-government); English medium schools (non-government); English version schools (government and non-government); government cadet colleges; non-government cadet madrasahs; Ebtedayi madrasahs; Dakhil madrasahs; Qawmi madrasahs; Hifz madrasahs; technical schools and colleges; Open University education; and non-formal schools run by NGOs, among others.

Each stream imparts different types of knowledge and skills to students. Among these, government schools—excluding cadet colleges—are often the most neglected in terms of quality. Cadet colleges, by contrast, provide a better standard of education and thus offer students brighter prospects. 

Kindergarten and non-government schools are widespread, but families from low-income backgrounds often cannot afford these options. Instead, they typically send their children to government primary schools or madrasahs, as these are free of cost.

Conversely, wealthier and upper-middle-class families—especially in urban centres such as Dhaka and Chattogram—tend to prefer English medium or reputed non-government schools. These institutions equip students with a higher quality education, including strong communication skills. However, most students from Bangla medium schools struggle in higher education and professional settings due to poor communication abilities. 

Some impoverished families enrol their children in non-formal schools operated by NGOs, which uphold the right to education but only provide an abridged version of the primary curriculum. Students attending madrasahs—particularly Qawmi and Hifz madrasahs—receive primarily religious instruction, applicable mostly within mosques or other religious institutions. These students generally come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

One might assume that such educational variety fosters healthy diversity. In reality, however, it often produces problematic disparities. The government frequently lacks effective oversight over many of these streams—including English medium schools, kindergartens, and Qawmi and Hifz madrasahs. 

While parents may enforce accountability in English medium schools and kindergartens due to their financial investment, Qawmi and Hifz madrasahs typically lack mechanisms for accountability—either from the state or from families.

Consequently, students from different streams develop vastly differing capabilities. Those from cadet colleges, English medium schools, and other reputed urban institutions often possess stronger social and cultural capital, which benefits them in professional life.

In contrast, students from Bangla medium schools tend to acquire moderate skills, facing more limited career prospects. Many struggle to secure employment, contributing to the nation's growing unemployment crisis. Madrasah students, while trained for religious service, face limited job opportunities in that sector, leading to high unemployment rates among their graduates.

This fragmented education system exacerbates social and economic divides, entrenching class disparities. Each stream produces students with different levels of preparedness to compete professionally and socially, reinforcing the stratification between the rich, the middle class, and the poor.

To better understand the implications of such fragmentation, let us compare the Bangladeshi system with those of other countries. I currently reside in the United States, a nation marked by immense racial, ethnic, religious, and linguistic diversity. 

Despite this, all children receive the same standard of education through a unified public school system from pre-primary through high school. Public schools are free through grade 12, although private schooling is available for wealthier families. This unified approach is common across North America and much of Europe.

In Asia, countries like Japan, South Korea, China, and Singapore also maintain a unified education stream. Let us consider several Muslim-majority countries for further comparison. In Turkey, for example, there are two types of education—formal and non-formal—but the state mandates twelve years of compulsory education under strict government regulation. Formal education follows a single stream, while non-formal education includes technical and vocational training. 

Although private institutions exist, all schools are closely monitored by the state. Malaysia offers both public and private schooling, with specialised tracks and strong moral education components, alongside the option to teach English as a second language. Indonesia mandates twelve years of compulsory schooling, incorporating religious education into its national curriculum, though Islamic and Christian/Catholic schools also operate within the system.

So, what should be the goal of education in Bangladesh? Simply put, it should provide students with the knowledge and skills needed to participate actively in socio-economic life after graduation. These skills must be aligned with the demands of the labour market.

If the current fragmented system persists, Bangladesh will face an increasing number of unskilled, unemployed youth. Social unrest will continue to grow as educational disparities create unequal minds, opportunities, and outcomes. Hence, a comprehensive and in-depth reform of the education sector is urgently required. 

This reform should critically assess whether such a large number of streams is necessary and offer clear policy recommendations for bringing all streams under state regulation. The aim must be to consolidate the number of streams, implement a market-aligned national curriculum, increase public investment in education to assume full responsibility for the sector, and hire qualified teachers to deliver quality education across the board.

Although the interim government has undertaken various reform initiatives, the education sector must be given top priority. Education is foundational to producing informed, responsible citizens and is thus critical to driving transformation in society, the economy, and governance.

Abu Said Md Juel Miah is a doctoral student at Loyola University Chicago, Illinois, US.

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