Six months of the BNP Govt: What has changed in education?

The BNP government came to power in February 2026 following a major political upheaval, raising public expectations considerably.

It is, of course, difficult to expect visible transformation in education within six months.

Yet the proverb ‘morning shows the day’ provides some basis for assessing the government’s early initiatives and priorities.

Two areas in particular appear to distinguish the current government from its predecessors.

The first concerns the long-standing problems of non-government teachers and employees.

They constitute a major part of Bangladesh’s education system, yet many have struggled for decades with inadequate financial security and limited institutional support.

Their repeated movements and protests have often brought them to the streets of Dhaka, sometimes disrupting classes and affecting students.

For MPO-listed teachers, basic salaries have gradually improved, including the government’s provision of a 10 per cent special benefit.

However, teachers and institutions outside the MPO framework remain largely neglected.

The broader financial insecurity of non-government teachers therefore remains one of the most pressing issues in education.

Against this backdrop, the government’s decision to begin providing retirement and welfare benefits to non-government MPO-listed teachers and employees is significant. Many had been waiting since 2022 for benefits after retirement.

The first payments began on 15 August following an initiative by the Prime Minister.

Around 123,000 teachers and employees across all 64 districts received their long-awaited retirement and welfare benefits.

The Prime Minister has also pledged that retired teachers and employees will no longer have to repeatedly visit government offices to receive their dues.

This is a welcome development. The retirement benefit system has suffered from prolonged delays and administrative complications, leaving retired teachers in considerable uncertainty.

Ensuring timely, transparent and predictable payments could restore some confidence among the teaching community.

However, the government must ensure that this initiative becomes a permanent institutional reform rather than a one-off intervention.

The second area where the government appears to be taking a different approach is educational quality.

Bangladesh has gradually developed an unhealthy obsession with examination results, often equating good grades with genuine learning.

Reversing this culture will not be easy, but the government has begun signalling a willingness to address the problem.

The recently published SSC results may encourage students, parents and institutions to reconsider the importance of genuine learning rather than simply pursuing grades.

However, many other areas appear to follow familiar patterns. The annual distribution of free textbooks, for example, receives enormous administrative attention.

Providing textbooks is important for access and equity, but it should not be confused with improving educational quality.

The National Curriculum and Textbook Board must focus not only on distributing millions of books but also on ensuring their academic quality, accuracy and relevance.

Similarly, repeated announcements about curriculum reform and teacher training will have limited impact unless they address the realities of the classroom.

Curriculum reform is a long-term undertaking requiring substantial investment, teacher preparation, appropriate assessment and effective implementation. A curriculum cannot succeed simply because it has been redesigned.

Teachers must be capable of delivering it, and assessment systems must encourage students to understand rather than memorise.

The country’s experience with English education illustrates the problem. Students study English for around 12 years, yet many remain unable to communicate effectively in the language.

This suggests that simply increasing years of study or changing textbooks is not enough.

Teaching methods, classroom practice, teacher quality and assessment must all improve.

The government’s proposal to introduce additional foreign languages is therefore potentially worthwhile, given the changing demands of higher education and employment. But implementation will be crucial.

If the existing system has struggled to produce functional English proficiency, introducing two or three additional languages without adequate teachers, institutions and resources could produce another policy that exists largely on paper.

Public-private partnerships and specialised language institutes could offer practical alternatives.

Technical and vocational education also requires greater attention. Bangladesh needs a workforce equipped with practical and technical skills, yet vocational education remains less attractive to many families and students.

Simply announcing an expansion will not change this perception.

The government needs to improve the quality of technical institutions, strengthen links with industry, modernise training facilities and demonstrate clear employment pathways for graduates.

Higher education requires similar scrutiny. Expanding the number of universities, particularly without adequate academic and research capacity, does not necessarily strengthen the country’s education system. Universities should be centres of learning, innovation and research.

Their research should address national economic, social, environmental and scientific challenges and meet international standards.

After six months, it may be premature to expect fundamental transformation. Nevertheless, the absence of discernible progress in several important areas should encourage the government to reassess its priorities.

Political confrontation, campus unrest and disruptions to academic activities also continue to affect students’ ability to study.

The nation needs an education system that rewards learning rather than memorisation, values teachers rather than leaving them financially insecure, and produces graduates with practical skills alongside academic knowledge.

The government has made some encouraging beginnings, particularly in addressing teachers’ retirement benefits and educational quality.

The challenge now is to move beyond announcements and establish reforms that are transparent, sustainable and measurable.

Six months may be too short to judge a government’s entire education policy. But it is long enough to identify its direction.

The government must now ensure that its early initiatives develop into meaningful and lasting change.

(The writer is President, of ETAB — English Teachers’ Association of Bangladesh).