Farah Zahir
Managing Editor, The Oniket Bulletin
Bangladesh has brought almost every child into primary school and has narrowed the gender gap in enrolment. Learning is another matter. A pupil in a well-equipped Dhaka school and a child in a char, haor or hill village are getting very different educations.
Education works like public infrastructure, because its worth depends on everyone being able to use it. A road that serves only cities and the wealthy is not a national network. The reforms below address the main gaps and show where the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) apply.
Where the gaps are widest
Remote schools lack teachers, buildings and materials. Poor families bear hidden costs such as private tutoring, exam fees and transport, and these push children out as they move up the grades. Girls drop out at the secondary stage because of early marriage and safety concerns. Indigenous children are taught in a language they do not speak at home, and few schools can accommodate children with disabilities. Beneath all of this is weak quality, since many pupils leave primary school without secure reading and arithmetic.
SDG link: These gaps fall under SDG 4 (Quality Education), especially Target 4.1 on completing free, quality primary and secondary schooling with real learning outcomes, and Target 4.5 on removing disparities for the poor, girls, indigenous peoples and persons with disabilities.
Funding that follows need
Public education spending has stayed near 2 percent of national income, well below the 4 to 6 percent that international benchmarks suggest. Parliament should legislate a steady rise. The formula matters as much as the total: upazilas with weaker results, poorer facilities and higher poverty should receive more. Free schooling should be free in practice, which means ending informal fees, delivering books and meals on time, and reducing dependence on private coaching.
SDG link: SDG 1 (No Poverty) applies because hidden costs deepen household poverty, and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) applies because need-based allocation narrows regional divides. The spending benchmark itself comes from the SDG 4 financing framework.
Teachers at the centre
Primary teachers sit in the same pay grade as clerical and technical staff and are often pulled away for elections, censuses and campaigns. The government should create a separate, higher pay scale with a clear career ladder and status comparable to other respected public services. Recruitment should be competitive and free of political influence, followed by proper training and mentoring. Teachers in difficult areas need hardship allowances and housing support, and remote communities should be able to train local candidates who are likely to stay. Non-teaching duties should move to other staff.
SDG link: Target 4.c calls for more qualified teachers, with particular attention to least developed countries. Bangladesh’s pay and posting rules currently work against that target.
Learning over grades
A system fixated on pass rates and top grade point averages can hide poor learning. Inflated results erode the trust of employers and universities, and graduates struggle to find work. Independent national assessments of early-grade reading and mathematics, published by upazila, would make problems visible. Curriculum and examinations should reward reasoning over memorisation. Technical, vocational and university programmes should be tied to labour market needs through industry partnerships, internships and regular curriculum review.
SDG link: Target 4.6 covers literacy and numeracy, and Target 4.4 covers job-relevant skills. Target 8.6, which seeks to cut the share of young people outside work, education and training, is also directly relevant under SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth).
Inclusion by design
Mother-tongue early education for indigenous communities needs trained teachers and suitable materials. Schools must be accessible to children with disabilities through ramps, assistive devices and trained support staff. Girls need safe transport, clean toilets and secondary stipends conditional on staying enrolled and unmarried. Flexible models such as boat schools in flood-prone areas and evening classes for working children can reach pupils the standard system misses. Digital learning, backed by affordable devices and connectivity, can bring strong teaching to remote places, but it should support teachers and not replace them.
SDG link: Target 4.a (inclusive, safe school facilities) and Target 4.5 cover disability and indigenous access. SDG 5 (Gender Equality) applies through Target 5.3, which seeks an end to child marriage, a main cause of girls leaving school. Connectivity ties in with Target 9.c on universal access to information and communication technology.
Accountability and local ownership
School management committees and local education offices should receive real budgets and decision-making power, with public reporting on how money is spent. Teacher transfers and appointments must be transparent and shielded from political pressure. Independent monitoring of attendance, spending and learning results would expose weaknesses early. General, madrasa, English-medium and technical streams should share minimum standards in core subjects, so that no child is steered into a weaker track by circumstance.
SDG link: SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) applies, notably Target 16.6 on effective, accountable and transparent institutions and Target 16.7 on responsive, participatory decision-making.
The return on a costly promise
Educating every child well is expensive, and it should be. It is also the investment most likely to raise incomes, spur innovation and strengthen social cohesion. Slogans and one-off programmes will not close the gaps. Paying teachers as the nation builders they are, spending where need is greatest, measuring real learning and holding institutions to account will. A road that reaches every village, hill and shoal is worth every taka it costs.
