Education for equality

The youth movement in 2024 highlighted the fact that equal opportunity and fairness are the major demands of today’s generation. The quota reform movement centered on justice, but its core message ran deeper.

This generation refuses to compromise with injustice. They envision a Bangladesh where opportunities depend on talent, hard work and skill, not on birthrights or background. The strength of these young people is our future, and that future will only be sustainable when the foundation of our education system is strong.

It is said that education is the backbone of a nation. But if that backbone is bent by inequality, how can the nation stand tall? In Bangladesh today, the quality of education, access to it and future prospects still depend on one’s birth, income and connections. While children in cities advance with smart boards and modern learning materials, children outside the cities rely on limited resources and undertrained teachers. In other words, the education available in the city does not reach the outskirts. That is the reality.

This is not an individual failing, but a reflection of our systemic shortcomings. Our teachers are hardworking and dedicated, yet do they receive the same quality of training, the same opportunities, or the same resources? On one side there is abundance and on the other there is deprivation, struggle. This inequality remains the greatest crisis in Bangladesh’s education system today.

There are around 44 million students in the formal education system in Bangladesh today. Half of the country’s population is under the age of 25, that is, around 85 million young people. Yet the reality is worrisome. According to the World Bank, about 40 per cent of young people aged 15 to 29 are currently not engaged in any form of study, employment or training.

The country has 42 million students, but there are not enough trained teachers to educate them. On paper, the ratio is said to be one teacher for every 35 students. But visiting schools in rural areas tells a different story. Often, a single teacher faces 60 faces, 60 questions, 60 dreams.
The Primary Education Development Project (PEDP-4), launched in 2018 with a budget of Tk 382.91 billion (Tk 38,291 crore), has completed only 62 per cent of its work even after six years. The project has lagged, but has the children’s learning time stopped?

A survey shows that most secondary and higher secondary students still rely on various coaching centers and private tutors. Access to quality education is now not just a matter of rights but also of economic capacity. Internet usage in rural areas is less than half that of urban areas, making digital content largely accessible to city dwellers, while outside the cities it remains out of reach.

The greatest disparity is seen in the national budget. Of the total budget of Tk 7.9 trillion (Tk 7.9 lakh crore) for the fiscal year 2025–26, only Tk 956.44 billion (Tk 95,644) has been allocated to education, which is just 1.6 per cent of the country’s GDP. Compared to other South Asian countries, this allocation is still the lowest.

The question is, with this limited funding, is it even possible to ensure quality improvement and equity for 42 million students, nearly 1 million teachers and countless educational institutions across the country?

With low revenue collection, the government’s capacity to spend is also limited. Even if the government wanted to, it cannot suddenly double the education budget. This is the reality. So where is the solution?

The solution lies in rethinking. In today’s world, the only way to create greater impact with limited resources is through digital transformation.
The problem in our education system is not just a lack of funds but unequal distribution of skills and opportunities. While good teachers may be available in urban areas, the situation outside the cities is entirely different, leaving millions of students deprived. Technology alone can bridge this gap. An online or video class, a smart device, or a digital classroom can make a good teacher accessible to everyone.

To illustrate the immense potential and success of technology, consider the story of Al Amin from Bauphal in Patuakhali. His family’s only source of income was his father’s small business. Alongside his studies, Al Amin had to spend time helping his father. Due to financial constraints, he could not afford separate coaching for university admission. "Shikho" was his only source of guidance.

After the national medical college admission results were published, Al Amin was ranked 117th on the merit list. Turning a new corner in his life, he is now enrolled at Dhaka Medical College.

Then there's Mushfiq, a boy from the remote North Bedkashi union of the Sundarbans, where finding good teachers is difficult and access to quality education is almost nil. Even from such a region, Mushfiq has proven that geographical boundaries cannot negate his dreams. No one from his school had ever gone to Notre Dame College before, but Mushfiq changed that history. By achieving a GPA-5 in the SSC exams, he reached one of the country’s top colleges, Notre Dame, directly from his village. Throughout his journey, "Shikho" was his constant companion.

Whether it is Al Amin or Mushfiq, their stories are not just personal achievements. They send a clear message about the potential transformation of Bangladesh’s education system. They have shown that if technology, good teachers, and quality content are made accessible to all, even the most remote regions of the country can empower a new generation to turn the impossible into reality.

The most urgent need in Bangladesh’s education system today is a new framework, one where technology forms the foundation and people remain at the center. Technology is not a substitute, but an enabling force that empowers teachers, liberates students, engages parents, equips administrators, and provides policymakers with data-driven insights.

1. Curriculum: Technology can make the curriculum more updated and relevant. Through digital materials and online resources, new skills such as artificial intelligence, climate change awareness, or financial literacy, can be easily integrated into the curriculum. Learning then becomes not just for exams but for life.

2. Teacher training: With over one million teachers in the country, opportunities for training remain limited. Through online training, micro-learning videos, virtual classrooms, and AI-assisted tools, teachers can develop at their own pace and on their own schedule, keeping up with the times. This builds confidence, makes classrooms vibrant, and enhances teaching effectiveness.

3. Learning materials: Alongside textbooks, there are videos, animations, simulations, and game-based learning tools. These digital resources make learning enjoyable and provide teachers with effective support.

4. Student outcomes: Digital assessment systems provide instant insights into learning progress. Who is falling behind, who needs support, can all be understood through data. The entire system then becomes data-driven and continuously improving.

The beauty of educational technology lies in its interconnected structure. Students learn, teachers are inspired, parents understand, administrators plan, and policymakers know where investments will yield the greatest results.

In our country, many still consider the internet a luxury. Yet in today’s world, it is as essential as electricity or water.

In 2016, Reliance Jio in India reduced the cost of data, making the internet accessible to everyone. That decision propelled online education, business, and employment to new heights. With bold policy decisions, the same is possible in Bangladesh.

Excessive taxes on mobile data and higher VAT on phone production need to be reduced. In regions where internet connectivity is weak, investment in infrastructure must be increased.

Moreover, software and digital tools in educational technology should be developed by local experts, those who understand the curriculum, language, and local context.

Just as a village remains in darkness without electricity, a region remains deprived of the light of development without the internet. Affordable internet is what can break down this wall of inequality.

Education reform is not just about changing or updating the curriculum. It is also about reforming the economy. Providing digital connectivity to schools across the country would become the largest education-linked employment programme in Bangladesh’s history.

Similarly, if one million teachers use technology-assisted tools to save just one hour per week, nearly 50 million hours per year could be redirected to teaching students. A study suggests that through digital classrooms and a trained teacher system, Bangladesh could increase its GDP by 1.5 to 2 percent over the next five years. Therefore, education reform is not only a humanitarian initiative, but also a clear economic policy.

Bangladesh has now reached a turning point where education is not just preparation for the future, it is the future.
Two paths lie ahead: one old, where inequality will continue to grow; and a new path, where boundless opportunities reach every doorstep through technology.

What we need is a new social contract where education is for all, technology is for all, and the future is for all. Technology will be a tool for equality, and education will be the source of strength for the next generation.

The day every classroom in the country has a television screen and every teacher receives regular training and support, I believe, will be the day when a child’s learning no longer depends on their place of birth. That will be the day we achieve true freedom of knowledge and opportunity.

* Shahir Chowdhury is founder and CEO, Shikho