Walk into any neighbourhood in Dhaka today and you are likely to find schools proudly displaying the names of different curricula, examination boards and international educational organisations: Cambridge, Edexcel, NCTB, English Version, Oxford, International curriculum, National curriculum.

For many parents, these names have become symbols of quality. Some believe that an international curriculum automatically means a better education. Others feel that the national curriculum is the safest and most appropriate choice. Some choose a school because they have heard that a particular curriculum is “easier,” “more prestigious” or “better for going abroad.”

But education is rarely that simple.