For years, the appointment of teachers in many educational institutions has been shaped by local influence, political connections, and, in some cases, financial transactions, writes HM Nazmul Alam
BANGLADESH has never lacked promises about education. Successive governments have treated it as a priority sector, rolling out free textbooks, stipends, and school feeding programmes with regularity. Enrolment rates have increased, attendance has improved, and public examination results often suggest steady progress. These indicators are frequently cited as evidence of success. Yet they obscure a more troubling reality: the system has become more efficient at producing certificates than at ensuring learning.
This contradiction is now widely visible. Students complete school, pass examinations, and earn degrees, yet many struggle to write clearly, analyse basic problems, or apply simple mathematical concepts without relying on memorised formulas. Employers routinely report that graduates are not ready for the workplace. Universities encounter students who lack foundational skills expected at entry level. Parents observe that years of schooling do not necessarily translate into confidence, curiosity, or independent thinking. These outcomes point to a structural weakness that policy discussions have long avoided confronting directly — the quality of teachers.
Public debate on education reform in Bangladesh tends to focus on curriculum revision, digitalisation, infrastructure development, and examination systems. Syllabuses are periodically updated, classrooms are equipped with new technologies, and training workshops are organised for teachers. However, these interventions rarely alter what happens inside the classroom. In many schools, teaching continues to rely on guidebooks, dictated answers, and examination-oriented instruction. Students memorise because they are expected to reproduce, not to question or understand. This pattern persists in part because many teachers themselves were trained within the same system.
Recent data published by UNESCO reinforces these concerns. Bangladesh ranks near the bottom in South Asia in terms of the proportion of teachers who possess minimum professional qualifications. The situation is particularly acute at the secondary level, where only around 55 per cent of teachers meet the required standards. This places Bangladesh behind not only countries with stronger economic capacity but also several that face more severe structural challenges. Such figures do not create a new problem; they quantify one that has long been evident across classrooms.
The implications are especially serious at the secondary stage, which serves as a critical transition between basic education and higher learning. It is during these years that students are expected to develop the ability to think independently, construct arguments, communicate effectively, and apply knowledge in practical contexts. When teaching quality is weak at this level, students advance without acquiring these skills. The consequences become visible later, as higher education institutions attempt to compensate for years of inadequate preparation, often with limited success.
Government responses have largely emphasised expanding teacher training. On paper, Bangladesh appears active in this area. Large numbers of teachers participate in workshops each year, receive certificates, and return to their institutions. However, the effectiveness of these programmes remains limited. Many trainings are short in duration, theoretical in orientation, and disconnected from the realities of overcrowded classrooms and resource constraints. Participation often fulfils administrative requirements rather than contributing to meaningful professional development.
Moreover, the process of selecting participants for training is not always based on pedagogical need. Reports of influence, institutional favour, and political considerations affecting access to training opportunities are not uncommon. Subject-specific gaps frequently remain unaddressed, while some teachers attend multiple programmes with little observable change in classroom practice. When training becomes procedural rather than purposeful, its impact on learning outcomes is minimal.
Similar concerns arise in teacher recruitment. For years, the appointment of teachers in many educational institutions has been shaped by local influence, political connections, and, in some cases, financial transactions. Such practices discourage qualified candidates from entering the profession while enabling less capable individuals to secure positions. An education system can function for a time with limited infrastructure or outdated materials, but it cannot sustain itself with inadequately prepared teachers. The effects are cumulative, influencing not just individual classrooms but entire cohorts of students.
The consequences of these systemic weaknesses are evident in learning patterns. Students are conditioned to view education as the reproduction of memorised content rather than the process of understanding and inquiry. Examination success becomes detached from actual competence. As a result, many learners progress through the system without developing the ability to think critically, solve problems, or adapt knowledge to unfamiliar situations. This not only affects individual prospects but also undermines broader economic and social development.
International experience suggests that such challenges are not unique. Countries like Indonesia have faced similar gaps between access and quality. Initial reforms focused on certification and formal qualifications did not yield significant improvements. Subsequent approaches shifted towards more practice-oriented models, emphasising peer learning, classroom observation, and continuous mentoring. While not without limitations, these strategies have shown greater potential in improving teaching effectiveness than certificate-driven reforms alone.
For Bangladesh, meaningful reform must begin before teachers enter the classroom. Pre-service training should be mandatory, rigorous, and closely aligned with subject expertise and pedagogical practice. Institutions that function primarily as providers of credentials, rather than centres of professional preparation, require stricter oversight. At the same time, recruitment processes must be transparent and merit-based, reducing the scope for localised influence and ensuring that teaching positions are filled by capable candidates.
Equally important is the need to rethink in-service training. One-off workshops cannot substitute for sustained professional support. Teachers require ongoing engagement within their working environments, including mentorship, feedback, and opportunities to reflect on and improve their practice. Effective training should address not only content knowledge but also methods of fostering discussion, encouraging critical thinking, and connecting lessons to real-world contexts. Even in resource-constrained settings, such approaches can significantly enhance learning if teachers are adequately supported.
The status of the teaching profession also demands attention. In Bangladesh, teaching often lacks the financial incentives, career progression, and social recognition associated with other professions. This limits its ability to attract and retain talented individuals. Any effort to improve educational outcomes must therefore consider the broader conditions under which teachers work, including remuneration, job security, and institutional respect.
Bangladesh frequently highlights its demographic dividend, pointing to a large and youthful population as a driver of future growth. However, demographic potential translates into economic advantage only when accompanied by education that develops skills, adaptability, and innovation. A system that prioritises certification over competence risks converting this potential into a liability.
The country now faces a clear choice. It can continue to emphasise enrolment figures, examination results, and programme expansion while accepting declining learning outcomes. Alternatively, it can address the structural deficiencies that undermine classroom teaching. Education reform, in its most practical sense, begins with teachers. Without ensuring that they are properly prepared, fairly recruited, and continuously supported, other reforms are unlikely to produce lasting results. The cost of inaction will not be confined to the education sector; it will be borne across the economy and society in the years ahead.
HM Nazmul Alam is a journalist, political analyst and currently teaches at IUBAT.
