The number of registered coaching centers in Bangladesh stands at 6,587. Of these, a total of 6,312 are academic institutions, while another 275 provide university admission or job preparation coaching. The data comes from the “Private Educational Institutions Survey 2024” published by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS).
However, education sector experts say the number of unregistered coaching centers is several times higher. Almost every district and upazila town, along with the capital Dhaka, has such institutions clustered around schools and colleges. Although these coaching centers are education-related, registration or approval is given by local government bodies such as city corporations, municipalities, or union councils. This leaves these institutions with virtually no oversight by the Ministry of Education or the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education.
These institutions are allowed to obtain registration under Section 111 of the Local Government (City Corporation) Act, 2009, Section 79 of the Local Government (Municipality) Act, 2009, and Section 82 of the Local Government (Union Council) Act, 2009. Taking advantage of this provision, coaching centers register themselves like businesses and claim their operations are legitimate. However, there are no guidelines on how these institutions should function or how many teachers they should have per student.
Professor ANM Mofakhkharul Islam, Chairman of the Rajshahi Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board, told Bonik Barta, “Currently, private educational institutions register through the board after meeting specific requirements. The board also has a system for inspections to maintain standards in these institutions. However, since coaching centers do not fall under the Ministry of Education’s policies, they are rarely inspected.”
He added, “There are multiple reasons why coaching centers operate without restriction. Many politically influential people are involved in them. That is why bringing coaching centers under regulations or shutting them down requires political will. Otherwise, it will be impossible to control them.”
The BBS survey classified coaching centers as private educational institutions. According to the survey, of the existing coaching centers, a total of 4,310 are privately owned, 2,026 are jointly owned, 116 are run by trustee boards or foundations, and 136 are operated by boards of directors or managing committees. These institutions have a total of 917,000 students and 66,754 staff members, including 61,812 teachers.
Allegations have surfaced that teachers from many public and private schools and colleges are involved with most coaching centers. Although the Ministry of Education issued a policy in 2012 to stop their coaching business, it has not been possible to put an end to it. On the contrary, many teachers spend more time at coaching centers than in classrooms. In many cases, school rooms are even rented out for coaching activities. Data from the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) shows that among the total workforce in coaching centers, a total of 26,970 people work part-time.
Professor Dr. Md Abdus Salam of the Institute of Education and Research (IER) at the University of Dhaka (DU) told Bonik Barta, “Whether coaching centers should exist or be closed is a long discussion. The way coaching centers are currently operating, they can be called business establishments. There is no scope to call them educational institutions. Any business establishment can obtain registration from local government authorities. If these institutions are to be considered as supportive educational institutions, then the registration should be brought under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education. There should also be provisions for regular monitoring and accountability.”
Parents say that due to the lack of quality in school and college-level education, students are increasingly turning to coaching centers. Sending children to these institutions has now become almost mandatory to ensure good results in exams. However, most of these institutions have only minimal paperwork in the name of approval, with no monitoring of teaching quality or education standards. As a result, students are not receiving the expected quality of education, while parents face additional financial burdens. Monthly fees, admission fees, and other costs have significantly increased the expenses of education, pushing low- and middle-income families into severe financial strain.
Parents believe the absence of a clear policy on coaching centers is concerning. Umme Habiba, a resident of Dhaka, said, “Both of my children study at coaching centers outside of school. Coaching centers have been growing rapidly for several years. Every now and then, we hear about a certain coaching center being very good, and parents rush to shift their children from one center to another after hearing such things. I have also done this several times. However, after weapons were recently recovered from a coaching center in Rajshahi city, concerns have grown about such new institutions. Since coaching centers cannot be closed, the government should bring them under a clear policy framework and increase monitoring. This would prevent them from arbitrarily raising fees or running other activities under the guise of education.”
Students, however, say they enroll in coaching centers mainly to better understand textbook topics. Shahriar Saklain, a student at an academic coaching center in Rajshahi city, said, “I often don’t understand what is taught in class, and it’s not always possible to ask teachers questions. But coaching center teachers are much more approachable. If I have trouble understanding something outside class, I can reach them instantly by call or message. They also often help us deal with personal problems.”
Dr. Md Ali Zinnah, Professor at the Institute of Education and Research (IER) at the University of Dhaka (DU), believes the current education system itself is driving the growth of coaching centers. Speaking to Bonik Barta, he said, “Having two separate institutions for the same purpose is not acceptable in any system. But there are shortcomings in classroom teaching in our schools. Our higher education admission process is also such that students cannot get into their desired institutions without coaching. If we want to reform the education system, we must strengthen our institutions so classroom teaching leaves no gaps. For this, funding must be increased, teachers’ salaries and benefits must be ensured, and the admission process must be designed so that if students acquire proper knowledge and skills in earlier grades, they can progress to the next stage without needing separate coaching institutions.”
Meanwhile, information gathered from various city corporations shows that a large number of coaching centers remain unregistered. According to data from the Chattogram City Corporation (CCC), a recent survey identified 401 coaching centers in the city. Among them, only 120 are operating with valid registration, while around 40 have not renewed their licenses for several years. Many individual teachers also run private coaching in the same room, making them less inclined to obtain licenses or comply with government regulations.
SM Sarwar Kamal, Chief Revenue Officer of CCC, told Bonik Barta, “It is very easy to obtain registration for coaching centers from CCC. But because registration requires some documentation and agreements, many owners prefer not to apply for licenses. We have held meetings with coaching center owners’ associations on this matter. They have also agreed on the need to address unlicensed coaching centers.”
A similar situation exists in Rangpur. There are more than 150 coaching centers there, but only 35 are registered. Mizanur Rahman Miju, head of the licensing division of the Rangpur City Corporation, told Bonik Barta, “Every year, small coaching centers pay BDT 3,000, medium ones pay BDT 4,000, and large coaching centers pay BDT 7,000 in fees. But many operate without registration. We have been instructed to list unregistered coaching centers. We expect that within 10 to 15 days, we will be able to identify them and also bring in revenue.”
Although some coaching centers are registered with Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), those privately run by teachers from various schools and colleges remain unregistered, DNCC Administrator Mohammad Ejaz told Bonik Barta. He said, “Those operating on a large scale are registered with the city corporation. But many coaching centers are run privately by teachers in their own homes or in rented houses. These are not registered.”
Education experts say it is urgent to enforce a law requiring that no coaching center can operate without approval and registration from the Ministry of Education. At the same time, they argue the provision allowing registration through local government authorities should be amended to align with education sector oversight.
Rasheda K Choudhury, an Adviser to the former Caretaker Government, believes registration of coaching centers through local government is unacceptable. Speaking to Bonik Barta, she said, “These coaching centers play a major role in the declining quality of education in our institutions. Many teachers focus on these centers instead of classroom teaching, leading to gaps in learning. Moreover, coaching centers are increasing inequality in education. The more money someone has, the further ahead they go. Those without money fall behind in the competition. The spread of coaching centers as a business and their registration under local government are both unacceptable.”
She added that in the July mass uprising, students’ main demand was the elimination of discrimination. “If we want to reduce discrimination in education, the government must regulate the coaching business,” she said. “Such institutions have mushroomed across the country without control. The government needs to address this seriously. If some institutions must be kept as supplementary, they should be operated under the Ministry of Education following clear regulations, not under local government.”
Multiple attempts to reach Education Adviser Professor Dr. Chowdhury Rafiqul Abrar and Education Secretary Rehana Parveen for comments were unsuccessful.
(Report compiled with information from the Rangpur, Rajshahi, and Chattogram bureaus)