Today's workforce demands a broad set of competencies: Critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, empathy, collaboration, adaptability, entrepreneurship, strong reading and writing, digital literacy, and lifelong learning.
Not all of these need to be fully developed at school. Schools lay the foundations; universities and workplaces deepen them. Reading, writing, basic digital skills, communication, empathy and teamwork begin at school. Critical thinking and problem-solving are introduced there but mature later through more independent and open-ended work. Entrepreneurship and self-directed learning also develop through higher education and work experience.
That is the ideal division of labour. The question is whether Bangladeshi schools are laying those foundations.
The gap between design and classroom
Bangladesh has repeatedly tried to build a more competency-based curriculum. Each attempt has promised less rote memorization and more critical thinking and practical learning. But writing a curriculum is easier than delivering it across tens of thousands of schools.
The 2021 competency-based curriculum began to be introduced in 2023, with plans to extend it to Class XII by 2027. Yet even a well-designed curriculum cannot succeed on paper alone. Its success depends on teachers, resources and classroom conditions.
Studies of its implementation identified gaps between what the curriculum expected and what many classrooms could deliver. Teachers were not always adequately prepared. Schools differed greatly in facilities and resources, particularly between urban and rural areas. Teaching materials were sometimes lacking, while textbook delivery was repeatedly delayed.
Consider collaboration. Group work is difficult when one teacher must manage a large class with limited space and materials. Critical thinking is equally difficult to teach if teachers have not been trained to develop it.
Assessment may be the biggest obstacle. Students and families naturally organize their efforts around what is tested. If major examinations continue to reward memorization and reproduction of prepared answers, a competency-based curriculum will struggle to change how students learn.
After reviewing implementation difficulties, the interim government reverted to the previous curriculum in early 2025.
The lesson is clear: Changing what students are expected to learn is not enough. Reform must also address how learning takes place in the classroom.
The 2026 initiative
The current government has launched another curriculum reform, with a broader overhaul planned for 2028. The government says it is moving more gradually than the previous reform. It has also announced new elements including sports, culture, technical and vocational education, and “Learning with Happiness.” More recent government statements have also highlighted AI, robotics, machine learning and cybersecurity.
These are useful directions. But they raise a more fundamental question: What should every child be able to do after ten or twelve years of schooling?
A modern curriculum should answer that question clearly. Students need more than subject knowledge. They should be able to think critically, solve unfamiliar problems, communicate clearly, work with others, adapt to change, learn independently and use technology responsibly. They need creativity and initiative, but also empathy, integrity and civic responsibility. They should acquire practical and technical skills while developing the ability to keep learning throughout life.
The government's stated goals already include several of these areas, such as creativity, employability, practical skills and future-oriented technology. The challenge is to turn these aspirations into clearly defined competencies and make sure they are taught across the curriculum rather than left to a few new subjects.
What matters in the classroom
The real test of the new reform will not be the number of new textbooks. It will be whether teachers are prepared before the new curriculum reaches their classrooms; whether schools have the space, equipment and learning materials needed for practical and collaborative work; and whether assessment rewards understanding, reasoning and application rather than memorization.
The government has said the reform will be supported by teacher guides, workbooks, remedial materials and video lessons. These resources can support both teachers and students, but their value will depend on timely delivery and effective use. In particular, teachers need practical guidance on how to use these materials to support classroom learning rather than simply adding more content to what they already teach.
Where teaching methods come in
How teachers teach matters as much as what they teach. A lesson does not have to rely entirely on explanation and note-taking. Teachers can ask questions, encourage short discussions, use simple classroom activities, give students problems to solve, and let them work together and explain their ideas. Such approaches can help students understand and apply what they learn rather than simply remember it. The aim is not to burden teachers with complicated new methods, but to gradually make classrooms more interactive and give students a more active role in learning.
Teachers can also use approaches such as the flipped classroom, project-based learning, and problem-based learning where they are appropriate. However, no single teaching method is suitable for every subject, every topic, or every learner. The choice should depend on what students are expected to learn and which approach is most likely to help them achieve that learning goal. A strong curriculum should therefore give teachers a repertoire of methods and, equally importantly, the training and resources to know when and how to use them.
The real test of reform
The goal should not be another curriculum that looks modern on paper but proves difficult to implement in practice. Nor should reform be reduced to adding new subjects, textbooks or digital materials. Its real measure is whether students leave school able to read and write well, think clearly, solve problems, communicate and collaborate, use technology wisely, adapt to change and act responsibly.
Bangladesh does not need to keep changing the destination. It needs to prepare its teachers, equip its schools and improve what happens in the classroom so that students can actually reach it. The challenge now is not to design another ambitious curriculum, but to build a reliable road from policy to the classroom.
MM Shahidul Hassan is distinguished professor, Eastern University, and former vice chancellor, East West University, Bangladesh.
