Bangladesh needs a new wave of education reform movement focused not just on access but on quality and learning outcomes, said Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, Convener of the Citizen’s Platform for SDGs, on Thursday.
“We are at a stage where another education movement is necessary—but this time it cannot be only about enrolling students in schools. It must be about ensuring real learning outcomes and quality education,” he said.
Dr Debapriya, also Fellow at the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), was speaking at a dialogue titled “Government Priorities and the Education Sector: Budget and Reality”organised by the Citizen’s Platform in the capital.
Dr Bhattacharya said Bangladesh’s next phase of development will depend heavily on the quality of its education system.
However, he warned that major gaps persist in learning standards, budget allocation, spending structure, dropout rates, child marriage, child labour, and alignment with international benchmarks.
“There are multiple narratives about the education sector. Some say it is a top priority. But in economic terms, priority is reflected in budget allocation,” he said. “If the allocation is not adequate, the priority is not real. And even when funds are allocated, how and where they are used matters just as much.”
He stressed that spending patterns across primary, secondary, and higher education need closer scrutiny, particularly whether resources are being directed toward infrastructure or improving teacher quality. “Building classrooms alone does not improve education quality,” he said.
Referring to government stipend programmes, he said financial support alone is insufficient to address the real cost of education for poor families. “Households face multiple additional expenses, which continue to burden disadvantaged communities,” he noted.
Citing field observations, he said people across the country remain deeply concerned about declining education quality.
“There is a strong perception that unless disorder in the education system is addressed and disadvantaged groups are retained in schooling, meaningful development will not be possible,” he said.
He also flagged rising dropout rates—particularly among girls—as well as child marriage and child labour as major concerns that threaten progress in education. “Without addressing these issues, real advancement in education will not be possible, nor will internationally comparable standards be achieved,” he added.
Presenting findings from recent research, Dr Bhattacharya warned that Bangladesh’s labour market is heading toward major disruption due to technological change.
He said around 5.6 million jobs could be displaced by the rise of artificial intelligence, robotics and automation, while roughly 5 million new jobs may be created.
“However, the key question is whether young people are prepared for these new types of jobs,” he said, adding that this mismatch poses a serious risk.
He said the focus must now shift from universal access to education toward measurable outcomes. “Earlier, the goal was ‘fight for education’. Now it must be ‘fight for the outcome of education’,” he said.
Dr Bhattacharya also called for transforming education reform into a broader political and social movement, beyond technical discussions.
He said efforts are underway to consider forming a coalition involving newly elected lawmakers to push for stronger reforms and improved quality in the education sector.