Bangladesh’s education quality has faced criticism from various quarters for over a decade. Multiple international reports highlighted this issue repeatedly, including UNESCO’s global education statistics. Bangladesh ranks last among South Asian countries in terms of the proportion of minimum-qualified secondary-level teachers, according to the UNESCO report. The analysis is based on data from 2024 for Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan; 2025 for Nepal; 2023 for Sri Lanka and Bhutan; and 2022 for the Maldives. These years reflect the latest available reports for each country.
Only 55 percent of secondary-level teachers in Bangladesh meet the minimum qualification criteria on average, according to the data. UNESCO defines this based on two indicators. First, whether teachers have received the necessary training for their teaching level. Second, whether their highest academic qualification matches the required standard. By this measure, the proportion of qualified teachers is 54.7 percent at the lower secondary level and 55.2 percent at the higher secondary level. This indicates a clear shortage of skilled teachers across both tiers.
In contrast, the Maldives leads the region in this indicator. The country has 98.3 percent qualified teachers at the lower secondary level and 99.1 percent at the higher secondary level. Overall, 98.5 percent of its secondary teachers meet the minimum standards, far ahead of Bangladesh.
Bangladesh’s long-standing quality issues are largely due to a shortage of competent teachers. Education experts identify two key reasons behind this crisis. First, there has been a lack of transparency in teacher recruitment. In many cases, hiring decisions were influenced by political considerations, nepotism, or irregularities rather than merit. This was particularly evident when school management committees handled recruitment. There have even been instances of appointments made using fake certificates.
Second, there are significant inconsistencies in subject-based training. Although the government often asks for lists of teachers for training programs, institutions have sometimes nominated candidates based on nepotism rather than subject relevance. As a result, teachers from Bengali or religious studies have attended mathematics training sessions. Consequently, training programs often fail to deliver effective outcomes. Even after receiving training, many teachers are unable to apply what they have learned.
On this issue, Professor Dr Md Abdus Salam of the Institute of Education and Research at University of Dhaka (DU) said that the shortage of skilled teachers is directly affecting students’ learning outcomes. “Most learners are failing to achieve the expected level of competence. This is evident in the various annual student assessment reports,” he added.
To address the situation, he offered several key recommendations. These include ensuring transparency in teacher recruitment and improving the social status and benefits of teachers so that talented individuals are encouraged to join the profession. He also emphasised the introduction of pre-service training at all levels to develop skilled teachers, which is already effectively implemented in many developed countries.
Global education statistics reveal that Bhutan ranks second in South Asia in terms of the proportion of minimally qualified teachers. The country has a rate of 97.9 percent at the secondary level. Nepal and India rank third and fourth, with 97.4 percent and 92.3 percent respectively. Besides, the rates stand at 80.4 percent in Sri Lanka and 68.9 percent in Pakistan.
Rasheda K Choudhury, executive director of the Campaign for Popular Education (CAMPE) and a former adviser to the caretaker government, said, “Two major challenges define Bangladesh’s education system. First, there is a shortage of adequate teachers, particularly subject-specific teachers. Second, there is a gap in professional competence. Teachers may have formal academic qualifications in our country. But a large number lack the skills required for modern, internationally standard teaching and learning methods in the classroom.” “This reflects not only weaknesses in training but also a lack of long-term planning and disparities between rural and urban areas,” she added.
One of the main reasons students fail to achieve grade-level competencies, or even fail in SSC examinations, is the absence of subject-specific teachers, she further noted, saying, “The shortage is especially severe in core subjects such as mathematics, science, English, and Bengali. For example, if a Bengali teacher teaches science, the teaching quality won’t improve.”
She acknowledged that the government’s plan to tighten recruitment procedures and introduce stricter evaluation mechanisms is a positive step. She stressed, “The need for regular and advanced subject-based training for currently serving teachers is essential. The teacher–student ratio often reaches 60 to 70 students per class, which is a major obstacle for effective teaching. This ratio must be reduced to a manageable level.
The shortage of subject-specific teachers is also reflected in Bangladesh Education Statistics 2024, published by the Bangladesh Bureau of Educational Information and Statistics. According to the data, 59,791 teachers currently teach English at the secondary level. Among them, 24.34 percent did not study English beyond higher secondary education. Another 48.23 percent hold a BA degree with compulsory 100-mark English, while 10.45 percent completed a BA with compulsory 300-mark English. Only 16.99 percent have a bachelor’s or master’s degree in English.
The situation is even more concerning in mathematics. 61,707 teachers teach math at the secondary level. Of them, 56.08 percent did not study mathematics beyond the higher secondary level. Around 11.98 percent hold a BSc degree with mathematics as a subsidiary subject, while 17.28 percent completed a BSc including mathematics, chemistry, and physics. Only 14.66 percent possess a bachelor’s or master’s degree in mathematics.
During the tenure of the interim government, two separate committees were formed to improve education quality — one for primary and non-formal education under the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, and another for secondary education under the Ministry of Education. Emeritus Professor Manzoor Ahmed of BRAC University was in a leading position in both committees. Commenting on UNESCO’s statistics on minimally qualified teachers, he told Bonik Barta that the measure is based on training and academic qualifications, which yields a figure of 55 percent. But he noted that field-level observations reveal a more alarming reality. “Many teachers hold academic certificates but don’t have the competence accordingly. Similarly, some teachers have received training, including BEd degrees, but they fail to achieve the practical teaching skills. That’s why these qualifications have little impact in the classroom. If practical competence is taken into account, the actual proportion of minimally skilled teachers would be even lower.”
Professor Ahmed also stressed that the problem cannot be solved overnight. He pointed out, “Despite clearly highlighting the issue of teacher inefficiency in reports, there has been little evidence of effective action so far.”
Emphasising long-term planning, he said, “If we really want any meaningful solution, we have to make long-term plans as well as ensure real competence among certificate holders.” He also raised concerns about the quality of privately offered BEd degrees, suggesting that stricter regulation is necessary.
“Instead of superficial training systems, we have to ensure effective, subject-based training along with applying such training in the classroom. Besides, teachers are the core drivers of education. That’s why, without ensuring their competence, improving the overall education quality will remain impossible,” he stated.