HSC results debacle: Not a failure, a call to awakening

This year, the HSC and equivalent examination results in Bangladesh, came as a jolt to the entire nation. The pass rate has dropped and the number of students achieving the GPA 5 score has fallen alarmingly compared to the previous year.

Parents are disappointed and students are despondent. The question arises as to whether this was merely an isolated “result debacle” for this year only? Or is it a reflection of the long-standing weaknesses in our education system, quietly accumulating over the years?

Why did this happen? There is no single answer. The results reflect the long-term structural problems in our education system. Among the most significant are:

(a) Post-COVID learning loss. During the two long years of school and college closures, students’ learning continuity was broken. Many did not participate in online classes; those who did often learned superficially. The gap created in learning has now become starkly evident in the results.

(b) Stricter questions and evaluation: In recent years, relatively easy questions had led to better results. But this year, with somewhat tougher question papers, the lack of students’ actual competence has become evident.

(c) Shortage of qualified teachers and lack of training: Many educational institutions in the country suffer from a shortage of qualified teachers. And among those who are teaching, many are not familiar with Outcome-Based Education (OBE), skills-based learning, or modern pedagogical methods. As a result, teaching remains limited to mere textbook instruction.

(d) Dependence on rote learning and coaching: In Bangladesh, exam results still matter more than the process of learning itself. The culture of coaching-centre-based education has restricted students’ ability to think critically. When rote learning fails, results collapse as well.

(e) Family and social pressure: Parents have turned their children’s academic results into symbols of family prestige. This has placed students under immense mental pressure, robbing them of the joy of learning.
This decline in results is not just about numbers. The HSC results are not merely annual statistics; they reflect the quality of the nation’s future human resources.

The impact of this downturn is already visible:

1. Admission challenges at universities: The number of vacant seats, both in public and private institutions, is steadily increasing.

2. Survival crisis for private universities: Falling student enrolment is creating financial strain.

3. Decline in interest in science and technology education: This will harm research, innovation, and industrial development.

4. Reduced global competitiveness: Bangladeshi students may increasingly fall behind in higher education abroad.

Overall, these factors point not just to an educational crisis, are a serious warning for national development.

The blame does not rest solely on the students. Responsibility must be shared by all. Many students treat studies as a chore. Many teachers still remain untrained and out of touch with modern methods. Parents prioritise results over learning. Policymakers often change policies but fail to implement them effectively. Consequently, the entire education system now stands on a fragile foundation.

There are several ways to overcome this difficult situation.

(a) Learning recovery programmes: Each school and college should launch bridge courses to address post-COVID learning gaps. Subject-specific weaknesses must be identified, and additional academic support provided.
(b) Teacher training and promotion of modern methods: Every teacher should be trained in Outcome-Based Education, ICT-based teaching, and skills-oriented assessment.
(c) Reform of examination methods: Assessment should go beyond rote memorisation to test understanding, analysis, and application. Question papers must emphasize creativity and critical thinking.
(d) Life skills and moral education: Students should be taught leadership, communication, digital literacy, and ethics to prepare them for success in professional life.
(e) Remedial courses at universities: Bridge programmes should be introduced in the first semester for weaker students to help them adjust to higher education.
(f) Mental health and counselling: Every educational institution should have a student counselling cell to help learners cope with academic stress.

It is time to prioritise quality over quantity, real learning over pass rates. Education must improve not by raising statistics but by raising standards. This requires an integrated education policy in which the Ministry of Education, NCTB, teacher training institutes, universities, and the media work together.

If fundamental reforms are undertaken now, the next generation’s higher education could take on an entirely new character. Universities could truly become laboratories of learning, centres where knowledge, research, and innovation converge. Artificial intelligence, genomics, food technology, climate-smart agriculture, and ethical leadership would form the new mainstream of education.

At its core would be lifelong learning, with teachers serving not merely as instructors, but as guides, coaches, and companions. Teaching would be rooted in smart classrooms, real-world projects, and research-based learning, so that students learn not just for exams, but for life.

The HSC results debacle, therefore, is not a reflection of our failure. Rather, it is a call to awakening. It serves as a reminder that if fundamental reforms are not introduced in education policy now, these results are only the beginning. The impact will be deeper and more long-lasting in the days to come. It must be remembered that education is not merely about exams. It is a process of building a nation’s future.

The old proverb goes, “As you sow, so you will reap.” The seeds we are planting in today’s education system will determine the harvest for the next generation. If we do not free our learning system from rote memorisation and reconstruct it on the foundations of critical thinking, creativity and ethics, tomorrow’s Bangladesh will be a nation of mere degree-holders, not of skilled, knowledgeable and competent people. But if we begin the path of change today, education itself can become the driving force of a national renaissance, the foundation of a developed, humane and enlightened Bangladesh.

* Dr. AKM. Humayun Kabir is Professor and Researcher, Chattogram Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Chattogram. He may be reached at akmhumayun@cvasu.ac.bd
* The views expressed here are that of the author.