Communication Is More Than a Language Skill. Communication is one of the most important skills a young person needs in the classroom, workplace, and wider society. It is not simply the ability to speak or write correctly; it is the ability to understand others, express ideas clearly, listen actively and interact with confidence. For students, strong communication skills can shape academic performance, self-confidence, social relationships and future employability. A Persistent Challenge in English Learning
Recent examination results underline the need for renewed attention to English learning. In the 2026 SSC examinations, English recorded the lowest or near-lowest subject-wise pass rates in most of the nine general education boards. The English pass rate ranged from 66.64 percent in Mymensingh to 81.29 percent in Cumilla, while Sylhet recorded 69.11 percent. This means that the problem is substantial, although it would be inaccurate to describe the national English failure rate simply as 33 percent. The wider SSC and equivalent examinations recorded an overall failure rate of 37.75 percent. These figures point to a broader learning challenge that deserves careful policy attention.
(Source: Education board results published 10 August 2026; reported by The Daily Star and The Business Standard.) A Classroom View of the Problem: These numbers match what I see in my own classroom in Sunamganj. Many students who can complete a grammar exercise correctly on paper still hesitate to introduce themselves in English or answer a simple question aloud. During the online classes I conducted through the coronavirus period, this gap became even clearer: students engaged confidently in Bangla discussion but grew quiet the moment English speaking was required. The shortfall, in other words, is less about grammar knowledge than about the confidence and practice needed to use the language.
Bangla for Roots, English for Wider Opportunities
For Bangladeshi students, Bangla remains central to identity, culture and everyday communication. At the same time, functional English can provide access to higher education, professional opportunities, international knowledge networks and global communication. The goal should therefore not be to replace Bangla with English, but to develop balanced bilingual competence. Students should be able to communicate effectively in Bangla while acquiring practical English skills for academic and professional contexts.
A Practical Spoken-English Assessment
One policy option deserves serious consideration: introducing a modest spoken-English component in the SSC, HSC and equivalent public examinations. The government could consider a 10- or 20-mark practical assessment focused on everyday communication, listening and speaking rather than memorisation. Such an assessment would not need to become an additional burden on students. Instead, it could encourage schools to give greater attention to functional language use throughout the academic year.
In practice, this could take a simple, low-cost form: a short one-to-one or paired conversation conducted by the student’s own subject teacher during the regular examination period, following a standard rubric that scores fluency, comprehension and confidence rather than accuracy alone. Marks could be moderated by a second teacher or a subject cluster to keep scoring consistent across institutions. Piloting the component in a small number of schools — including some in haor areas — for one academic year, before nationwide rollout, would allow the Ministry to refine the rubric and address logistical concerns before scaling up.
Teacher Capacity Matters
Assessment reform alone, however, will not solve the problem. The availability and quality of English teachers are equally important. Some educational institutions, particularly in geographically disadvantaged areas, face shortages of subject teachers, while teachers already in service may not always have sufficient opportunities for sustained professional development. The Ministry of Education and relevant agencies should therefore strengthen continuous professional development (CPD), mentoring, classroom-based training and practical English-teaching support. Teacher training should emphasize communicative pedagogy, classroom interaction, assessment literacy and the effective use of locally available digital resources.
The Haor Region Needs Targeted Attention
Educational inequality becomes especially visible in Bangladesh’s haor areas, where seasonal flooding, transport difficulties, household economic pressures and limited access to educational resources can interrupt students’ learning. These challenges should not be interpreted as a lack of aspiration among haor students. Rather, they demonstrate the need for targeted public support. Government programmes could provide additional learning support, attendance incentives, need-based stipends, digital learning opportunities and stronger academic mentoring for students in geographically disadvantaged communities.
Supporting Teachers in Hard-to-Reach Areas
Teachers working in difficult geographical conditions also need institutional support. The government already recognizes that working conditions can vary substantially across locations. A carefully designed special allowance or other incentive for MPO-listed teachers serving in haor and similarly hard-to-reach areas could be considered, subject to fiscal feasibility and clear eligibility criteria. Such support should be viewed not merely as a financial benefit but as an investment in teacher retention, motivation and continuity of classroom instruction.
From Examination Results to Educational Reform
The central lesson is that examination results should not be treated merely as numbers. They should help policymakers identify where students are struggling and why. Improving English education requires a coordinated approach: better teacher preparation, adequate staffing, practical assessment, targeted support for disadvantaged learners, and stronger monitoring of classroom learning. Schools should also create more opportunities for group discussion, presentations, pair work, projects and real-life communication alongside reading and writing activities.
A Call for a More Equitable Language Policy
Bangladesh needs an education system in which a student’s place of residence does not determine the quality of language education they receive. A student in a metropolitan school and a student in a haor community should both have meaningful opportunities to develop communication skills. This will require investment, teacher support, and context-sensitive policy rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.
Conclusion
Communication skills are not a luxury; they are a foundation for learning, employment, social participation and national development. Bangladesh has made significant progress in expanding access to education, but the next stage must focus more strongly on the quality and usefulness of learning. Introducing a practical spoken-English component in SSC, HSC and equivalent examinations, strengthening English-teacher training, addressing teacher shortages and providing targeted support for students and teachers in disadvantaged regions could be important steps forward. If implemented carefully and evaluated regularly, these measures could help build a generation of confident, capable, and globally connected learners without weakening the central place of Bangla in national life.

Author: Assistant teacher (English), Sonapur SESDP Model High School, Sunamganj.