IT IS unacceptable that the authorities have yet to adequately respond to the issues that have disrupted the academic environment for the past year. A breakdown in the relationship between teachers and students, a series of protest movements by both groups, and the absence of functioning governing bodies or managing committees in many educational institutions have all hindered the restoration of academic normalcy. In the aftermath of the student-led July uprising, which culminated in the fall of the authoritarian Awami League government in August 2024, educational institutions 鈥� from secondary to tertiary levels 鈥� have experienced severe upheavals. These have included students compelling teachers to resign, voluntary resignations by teachers and administrators, government delays in appointing top officials and forming managing committees, failure to promptly address the demands of protesting teachers and students, and indecision regarding the national curriculum and the printing of textbooks, among other issues. While the most immediate outcome has been significant learning losses for students, the broader damage to the academic atmosphere appears to be even more profound.
The government, for its part, seems to have failed the education sector comprehensively. Despite forming 11 reform commissions across various sectors and currently working on their recommendations, the government has conspicuously excluded education from this list, even though there is widespread agreement that the sector is in urgent need of sweeping reforms. The authorities have also neglected the worsening teacher shortage across multiple levels of education. For instance, nearly half of government primary schools currently operate without headteachers, and more than half function with fewer teachers than required. This shortage is equally widespread in both government and non-government institutions at higher levels of education. Moreover, the national budget for the 2025鈥�26 financial year does not reflect any positive shift in priorities for education鈥攖he sector鈥檚 share in the gross domestic product has declined for the sixth consecutive year. The authorities have also failed to act on the recommendations of a government-appointed committee focused on improving primary and non-formal education in Bangladesh. The decision to delay the implementation of a new curriculum 鈥� following the government鈥檚 move to revert to the 2012 curriculum for printing 2025 textbooks instead of using the 2021 version 鈥� further reflects a troubling pattern of negligence.
Given this context, it is imperative for the authorities to take swift and practical measures to restore normalcy in the education sector. Immediate actions must include resolving the teacher shortage crisis by filling all vacant positions without delay, facilitating the formation of legitimate managing committees across educational institutions, and addressing the reasonable demands of both teachers and students. Simultaneously, the government must formulate comprehensive and long-term reform plans aimed at ensuring sustainable improvement in the sector.