SSC results: More than a failure rate
This year’s Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examination results were published on 10 August. The high failure rate has since become a matter of serious concern and widespread discussion. Parents are understandably worried about their children’s future academic and career prospects.
Some policymakers, however, argue that the poor results are a temporary setback caused partly by disruptions to education during the student movement in 2024 and other forms of instability. These disruptions may have affected this year’s results. But can they alone explain the high failure rate? Or do the results point to deeper weaknesses in our education system?
The more important question is why so many students reach the SSC level without acquiring adequate foundational knowledge and essential skills.
An education system that primarily encourages memorisation has failed to adequately equip students, from primary school to university, with both knowledge and the ability to apply it to real-life problems. As a result, many lack the skills and competencies demanded by employers and a rapidly changing economy.
The SSC results should therefore not be treated as an isolated incident or simply as evidence that students are becoming less capable. The more important question is why so many students reach the SSC level without acquiring adequate foundational knowledge and essential skills.
The results point to learning gaps that often begin in primary school and widen over time. Students who do not develop a strong foundation in English, mathematics and analytical skills increasingly struggle as the curriculum becomes more complex. Without timely support, they move from one grade to another without mastering essential concepts. Failure at the SSC level is therefore often the culmination of learning deficiencies accumulated over many years.
Our strong emphasis on achieving GPA-5 further compounds the problem. Students with high GPAs are often given special recognition, although GPA alone does not necessarily reflect depth of knowledge, understanding or the ability to apply what has been learned.
Heavy reliance on a single, high-stakes examination can also encourage memorisation rather than genuine learning. Modern education systems increasingly use continuous and varied forms of assessment to evaluate learning more effectively and develop critical thinking, problem-solving and other cognitive skills.
Another often-overlooked problem is the disruption of regular academic activities. Political instability, student conflicts, institutional disputes and administrative complications can reduce teaching time, disrupt attendance and interrupt the continuity of learning. Educational institutions must be safe environments for learning, intellectual development and open discussion.
The government and political parties should therefore work towards a national consensus to keep educational institutions free from organised partisan politics and undue political interference.
There is also a significant gap between well-resourced institutions in cities and schools in rural and disadvantaged areas. Urban institutions generally have better access to qualified teachers, laboratories and digital facilities, while many rural schools face teacher shortages and inadequate infrastructure. Public investment should give greater priority to institutions where educational resources are most limited.
The rapid growth of coaching centres and private tutoring is another indication of weaknesses in mainstream education. When students and parents lose confidence in classroom teaching, they turn to alternative arrangements.
Commercial coaching,mainly focuses on examination techniques than genuine understanding, while excessive dependence on private tutoring increases educational inequality. The long-term solution is to improve classroom teaching and restore confidence in mainstream education.
Education policy should not change with every political transition. Bangladesh needs a stable, long-term national education framework based on evidence and broad consultation.
One possible approach would be to establish a permanent and independent National Education Commission comprising educationists, researchers and other relevant stakeholders. The commission could regularly review the curriculum, assessment methods and teacher-development programmes.
The commission could also study the education systems of other Asian countries and identify lessons relevant to Bangladesh. India’s National Education Policy 2020, Singapore’s efforts to build a knowledge-based society and Malaysia’s education reforms offer useful examples. These models should not be copied wholesale; Bangladesh needs teaching, learning and assessment systems suited to its own social, economic and educational realities.
The high SSC failure rate should therefore be treated not merely as an examination problem, but as a warning about deeper weaknesses in the education system. The response should go beyond changing examination rules or blaming students, teachers or parents.
Bangladesh needs comprehensive reform of teaching, learning and assessment-from primary school to university-with greater emphasis on understanding, application and skills development. If we can use the present crisis to initiate evidence-based, long-term and nationally agreed reforms, the SSC results may become a turning point towards an education system that better prepares young people for employment, citizenship and a rapidly changing future.
(The writer is distinguished Professor, Eastern University, and Professor (retired), BUET, Bangladesh).
