The government has decided to provide laptops to around 40,000 students who achieved Golden GPA-5 in the 2026 Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and equivalent examinations to encourage academic excellence and technological skills.
The initiative was disclosed in the proceedings of the first meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Education, held at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban on September 10.
Abdul Khaleque, now Senior Secretary of the Secondary and Higher Education Division, informed the committee that Tk 57,301.68 crore was earmarked for the division in the 2026–27 fiscal year.
As part of efforts to improve educational standards and technological proficiency, the government has decided to provide one laptop each to approximately 40,000 students who secured Golden GPA-5 in this year’s SSC and equivalent examinations.
According to the meeting records, the government has also undertaken an initiative to transfer outstanding dues to the bank accounts of around 70,000 retired teachers and employees through the Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) and iBAS++ systems.
The committee unanimously thanked Prime Minister Tarique Rahman for the initiative.
Earlier, Education and Primary and Mass Education Minister Dr ANM Ehsanul Haque Milon had announced at an event in Khulna that the government was considering providing tablets to all students who secured GPA-5 in the SSC and equivalent examinations.
However, on September 1, the minister’s media cell announced that laptops would be provided specifically to students who achieved Golden GPA-5.
Meanwhile, the parliamentary committee made several recommendations aimed at improving the quality of education, ensuring transparency in the use of education funds and addressing irregularities and corruption in educational institutions.
The recommendations also included identifying the reasons behind declining secondary-level enrolment, strengthening teacher training and expanding technical education.
Committee Chairman Md Selim Bhuiyan said a series of decisions were taken at the first meeting to improve educational standards. He stressed that annual assessments and modern curricula were essential to bringing Bangladesh’s education system in line with international standards.
Bhuiyan also called for introducing learning-outcome assessments at intervals of three or six months rather than relying solely on annual evaluations.
He said the committee would make further recommendations at its upcoming meetings and organise a press conference to present a detailed education roadmap.
The parliamentary committee also reviewed the country’s existing student assessment system, observing that higher pass rates alone could not be considered a reliable measure of educational success.
Members emphasised the need to introduce annual learning-outcome assessments and develop curricula aligned with international standards.
They also proposed a long-term national education framework modelled on Malaysia’s approach to ensure continuity in education policies, curricula and textbooks, regardless of changes in government or ministry leadership.
Committee member Reza Kibria stressed the importance of introducing measurable annual benchmarks to ensure Bangladeshi students remained competitive in core subjects such as mathematics and science.
The committee made seven recommendations to improve educational standards.
Among the proposals were developing an annual assessment framework, conducting inspections of schools and colleges to ensure the proper use of education funds, and strengthening efforts to prevent irregularities and corruption.
The committee also recommended ensuring the attendance of National University representatives, education board officials and heads of relevant departments at future meetings.
It proposed preparing separate lists to expedite outstanding payments to teachers intending to perform Hajj and those suffering from serious illnesses. Members further recommended speeding up the payment of outstanding allowances, subject to budget availability.