Bridging the gender gap in education success: primary education policy in Bangladesh

Purpose This paper examines the implementation challenges of female primary education in Bangladesh, its impact on local cultural and socio-economic dynamics, stakeholder involvement to promote inclusivity, and policy alignment with national and international gender equality goals. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative approach was adopted, including a literature review, content analysis, in-depth interviews, and expert opinions to analyze the quality of education for females. Six interviews were conducted with policy administrators, academics, and private sector representatives. Findings The findings reveal that girls face more barriers in accessing and continuing primary education, as reflected in higher dropout rates and limited academic progression — factors that perpetuate social and gender inequality. Curriculum gaps, shortfalls in evaluation, urban-rural enrollment discrepancies, different teaching methods, the lack of a unified national education structure, inadequate teacher training, and environmental variables diverting resources exacerbate the challenges. The narrow focus on literacy overlooks prior failures to address the needs of disadvantaged people. Inflated statistics have obscured the reality, as bureaucrats tend to rely on favorable reports to evade criticism. Originality/value The focus on using local resources, donor assistance, and financial incentives for school-going girls provide a limited perspective on gender representation in primary education in Bangladesh. Investigating the implementation of free female primary education will help explore stakeholders’ input, education quality, and gender-related social changes in greater depth.