Nearly four decades after independence, Bangladesh finally adopted its first comprehensive national education policy in 2010.
Yet 16 years on, most of its key recommendations remain unimplemented, raising renewed questions about political commitment, governance and long-term planning in the education sector. In some instances, reforms have even been rolled back as impractical.
The government approved the National Education Policy 2010 with ambitious goals: extending compulsory primary education to Grade 8, modernising curricula from pre-primary to university level, strengthening industry–academia collaboration, ensuring inclusive education for children with disabilities and reducing disparities between urban and rural schools.
Yet, despite the passage of time, implementation has been uneven at best. One of the most discussed reforms — extending primary education to Grade 8 — was piloted in 729 schools. The policy had set a target of achieving nationwide implementation by 2018.
However, the expansion never materialised across the country. This year, under an interim administration, admissions to Grade 6 have been suspended in those pilot institutions, effectively reversing the initiative after years of experimentation.
Md Riaz Parvez, president of the Government Primary School Head Teachers’ Association, attributes the failure to a lack of political will. “It was piloted largely on paper,” he said. “Had there been genuine commitment, the shortages of qualified teachers and infrastructure could have been addressed over the past 16 years.”
Educationists argue that while successive governments have introduced isolated reforms, these efforts have lacked coherence. The policy called for continuity and modernisation in curricula, but implementation has often been shaped by political priorities or bureaucratic discretion rather than a long-term strategy.
More than seven education commissions have been formed in Bangladesh over the decades.
The country’s first national education policy was formulated in 2010 under the leadership of National Professor Kabir Chowdhury, drawing upon the recommendations of earlier commissions, including the 1974 Qudrat-e-Khuda Education Commission, the 1997 Shamsul Huda Education Commission, and the 2001 MA Bari Education Commission.
Yet observers note that, historically, commission reports have rarely been implemented in full. Higher education reforms have also lagged behind policy aspirations. The 2010 framework proposed building strong linkages between universities and industries to make degrees more market-relevant.
It recommended introducing or strengthening subjects such as defence studies, comparative religion, peace and conflict studies and climate change. While climate-related content has recently been expanded at primary and secondary levels, such subjects have not been systematically embedded across universities.
Quality concerns are particularly acute at the primary level. A report from the government’s Compulsory Primary Education Monitoring Unit corroborates these concerns.
Inspections conducted in 3,530 government primary schools across 21 districts over ten months from January to October last year found that nearly 72 per cent of students could not read Bengali and English fluently with correct pronunciation.
Parents echo these concerns, saying that many children now struggle with basic literacy skills. Several senior citizens noted that in earlier generations, students who completed Grade 5 could easily read English newspapers. Today, many students struggle even to read their textbooks properly.
Efforts to standardise foundational education across government, private, kindergarten and Ebtedayee madrasa institutions imparting primary education have also stalled. The policy required all primary institutions, including English-medium schools and kindergartens, to come under mandatory registration. In practice, many remain outside regulatory oversight.
Controversy has also surrounded the Grade 5 scholarship examination. Administrative complications and disputes over registration and eligibility have delayed the 2025 examination, leaving questions about the fees already collected from students.
Inclusion of children with disabilities, another major pillar of the policy, remains limited. Official figures show that more than 102,000 students with special needs are enrolled at primary level, with nearly half in government schools. However, many visually and hearing-impaired students continue their education without access to Braille or sign language support.
Abu Noor Md Shamsuzzaman, director general of the Directorate of Primary Education, has acknowledged gaps in implementation, noting that stronger government initiatives could have improved inclusive education outcomes.
Physical education is another neglected area. Although the policy emphasised sports and physical development, students report that the subject is often treated as nominal. In many schools, the marks awarded for physical education are not included in final examination results, reducing incentives for teachers to prioritise it.
Manzoor Ahmed, emeritus professor at BRAC University and former head of an advisory committee on primary and secondary education quality, believes the core problem lies in weak follow-through. “Formulating a policy is not enough,” he said.
“Implementation strategies, monitoring mechanisms, financing and leadership are essential. These have been lacking.”
He cautioned against sweeping changes to the 2010 framework, arguing instead for a renewed focus on execution. “Rather than rewriting the policy, we need a realistic action plan.”
Dr SM Hafizur Rahman of the University of Dhaka said the policy also requires updating to reflect global demands.
“Education has not truly been prioritised,” he said. “Without revising and effectively implementing the policy, we cannot produce the human resources the country aspires to develop.”
As Bangladesh looks ahead, educationists warn that without sustained political commitment and systemic reform, the promise of transformative change in classrooms across the country may remain, once again, confined to paper.
