Nearly 36 percent of regular students did not sit for this year's Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent examinations, marking an increase from last year and raising concerns among education experts.
The HSC and equivalent examinations, which began on July 2, are being taken by around 950,000 students under 11 education boards. However, about 1.5 million students had enrolled in Class XI after passing the SSC and equivalent examinations two years ago, meaning more than 550,000 students did not reach this year's final examinations.
According to education sector data, the absentee rate has increased from more than 29 percent last year to nearly 36 percent this year, indicating a growing dropout trend before higher secondary completion.
The situation is more alarming under the Technical Education Board, where more than 54 percent of regular students did not even register for the examinations.
Education experts say the trend reflects broader challenges in the sector, including declining student participation, teacher shortages and weak institutional management.
According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Educational Information and Statistics (BANBEIS), around 2,842 assistant teacher posts and 383 head teacher posts remain vacant in government secondary schools, affecting the quality of education and supervision.
Although the 2026-27 national budget increased education spending to Tk 136,606 crore, experts said higher allocations alone will not improve outcomes without stronger governance, better management and effective policy implementation.
