Beyond the manifesto: The real challenge of fixing Bangladesh’s education system

Whenever a new government assumes office, expectations naturally rise. Few sectors attract greater scrutiny than education because of its profound influence on a country's economic growth, productivity and social mobility.

Bangladesh currently spends around 2-2.5% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on education, according to government and international estimates. This remains significantly below the 4-6% benchmark recommended by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and lower than many comparable emerging economies.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party's 31-point reform agenda places education prominently within its policy priorities. The proposals include expanding free education and stipends, improving teacher salaries, strengthening technical and vocational training, introducing third-language learning, modernising curricula and expanding digital access in classrooms.

The manifesto also promises governance reforms intended to make the education system more responsive to a changing economy. These commitments reflect a broad recognition that education reform is essential for Bangladesh's long-term competitiveness.

Yet a closer reading of the manifesto reveals several critical gaps between ambition and implementation.

Access expanded, but learning remains weak

Bangladesh has achieved impressive gains in expanding educational access. According to the 2022 Population and Housing Census, national literacy stands at approximately 74.7%, while youth literacy exceeds 90%.

Primary school participation has reached near-universal levels.

However, the central challenge today is learning quality rather than access. The World Bank and various national assessments have repeatedly highlighted that a significant share of Bangladeshi students completing primary school struggle with basic reading comprehension and numeracy.

A 2019 World Bank learning assessment suggested that a large proportion of Grade 5 students fail to reach expected competency levels in mathematics and reading.

The manifesto speaks broadly about improving education, but it offers little detail on how learning outcomes will be systematically measured and improved. This is particularly concerning in the foundational years of schooling, where long-term learning gaps often originate.

Teacher quality: The missing reform engine

International experience consistently shows that teacher quality is the single most influential factor in improving student learning. Countries such as Singapore, South Korea and Finland have transformed their education systems by investing heavily in teacher training, mentoring and professional development.

Bangladesh employs a large teaching workforce. Yet opportunities for continuous professional training and classroom evaluation remain uneven.

The manifesto proposes better salaries and teacher empowerment, which are welcome commitments. However, it does not present a clear national framework for teacher training, certification standards or performance-based professional progression.

Without such structural reform, improving teacher motivation alone may not significantly raise classroom learning quality.

Curriculum reform without implementation clarity

The manifesto proposes modernising curricula, introducing third-language learning and strengthening practical skills. These proposals reflect the realities of an increasingly globalised economy.

However, Bangladesh's recent curriculum reforms have demonstrated that frequent changes without adequate teacher preparation can create confusion and implementation challenges.

Teachers often receive limited training before new curricula are introduced. Learning materials may also fail to arrive on time.

The manifesto outlines what should change in the curriculum, but it provides little clarity on how these reforms will be phased in, evaluated or stabilised over time.

Without a clear implementation roadmap, curriculum innovation risks becoming administrative disruption rather than genuine educational improvement.

Spending commitments without outcome targets

Increasing education spending is widely seen as necessary. Bangladesh's education investment remains modest relative to many regional peers.

However, international evidence suggests that increased spending alone does not automatically translate into better learning outcomes.

The manifesto suggests raising education expenditure towards 5% of GDP, which would represent a significant step.

Yet it provides limited detail on how increased funding would be tied to measurable improvements such as reduced dropout rates, higher literacy proficiency or improved transitions between educational stages.

Currently, while around 70% of Bangladeshi students enter secondary education, only roughly one-quarter eventually reach tertiary education.

Without linking spending to outcome indicators, additional resources may struggle to address these structural bottlenecks.

Weak alignment between education and employment

Another major structural challenge is the growing disconnect between education and labour-market demand.

Many young graduates struggle to find meaningful employment despite years of schooling.

Bangladesh's technical and vocational education sector remains relatively small, accounting for only a limited share of secondary education enrolment.

By contrast, countries such as Malaysia and Thailand have significantly expanded vocational pathways and built strong partnerships between training institutions and industry.

While the manifesto recognises the importance of vocational education, it does not clearly outline how industry partnerships, apprenticeship systems or labour-market forecasting will shape educational planning.

Without stronger institutional links between education and employment, the skills mismatch may continue to widen.

Digitalisation without a learning strategy

Bangladesh has experienced rapid digital expansion. With more than 120 million mobile internet users, technology has the potential to significantly expand access to educational resources.

However, digital education requires more than distributing devices or installing connectivity.

Successful digital learning systems depend on trained teachers, high-quality digital content and integration with national curricula.

Countries such as Estonia have demonstrated how carefully designed digital strategies can improve learning outcomes.

The manifesto refers to digital expansion but offers limited clarity on how technology will improve classroom learning or how teachers will be prepared to use digital tools effectively.

Turning promises into measurable reform

The challenge facing Bangladesh is therefore not the absence of policy ambition. Rather, it lies in transforming broad commitments into measurable improvements in classrooms.

Education reform requires clear targets, transparent monitoring systems and sustained institutional leadership.

Without these elements, even well-designed policies may struggle to produce meaningful change.

If Bangladesh succeeds in linking education reform to measurable learning outcomes, it can move beyond expanding access towards building a high-quality education system capable of supporting economic transformation and long-term national development.

The real test of the manifesto will therefore lie not in the promises it makes, but in the results it ultimately delivers.

Sketch: TBS

Maj Gen (Retd) Md Nazrul Islam is a former executive chairman of BEPZA, a retired major general of the Bangladesh Army, and a PhD researcher on technology, workforce transformation, and industrial competitiveness.

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.