Beyond the classroom: structural and qualitative challenges in Bangladesh’s primary education

Abstract

The study provides an overview of the problems in the primary education system of Bangladesh by highlighting issues such as teacher-student ratio variations, unqualified teachers, different educational systems, and coordination issues in primary schools. The adverse impact of poverty on children’s schooling, worsened by health and nutrition problems, is identified as a major barrier to academic achievement. This study employed a sociological perspective to systematically investigate and identify the structural inequities inherent within the primary education system. The study analyzed news articles from Bangladesh’s most popular newspaper in 2023 to identify pressing issues in the primary education system, focusing on teacher qualifications, teacher-student ratios, and the impact of COVID-19. The findings were triangulated with sociological theories and existing empirical investigations. While it is ethical to use public data, there are also limitations, such as potential media bias and the year of data collection, which could potentially affect generalizability. This study aims to enhance equity and academic achievement within the country’s primary education landscape by investigating and proposing solutions to the challenges of Bangladesh’s primary education.