A system running on overtime

Across Bangladesh, both primary and secondary teachers work under sustained pressure. Large classes, limited staffing and administrative demands mean the day rarely ends at the final bell.

Evidence over the past three years shows that secondary teachers commonly take six to seven classes a day (around 40–45 minutes each), often with 40–50 students per class. National averages put pupil–teacher ratios at roughly 37:1 in primary and 45:1 in secondary — well above UNESCO’s recommended levels for primary schooling. Managing oversized classes amplifies the time needed for planning, marking and feedback.

A diagnostic study of primary education management reported that teachers shoulder around “73 kinds of various academic and non-academic tasks”, from instruction, marking and lesson planning to data entry, attendance reporting and event supervision. Globally, OECD analyses suggest about half of a teacher’s working time goes to non-teaching tasks; Bangladesh appears to meet or exceed that share given current workloads.

When teaching takes over life

Teachers frequently report that work spills far beyond official hours, eroding personal and family time. Accounts from 2025 highlight fatigue, anxiety and burnout, with many teachers noting they “do not get adequate time to recharge” as responsibilities extend into evenings and weekends.

Marking and preparation are only part of the picture. Mandatory meetings, form-filling, and co-curricular supervision further compress time. The net effect is less bandwidth for personalised feedback, experimentation with pedagogy, or professional learning — all of which underpin better student outcomes.

Recruitment and retention under strain

Workload is not merely a well-being issue; it is a workforce issue. Reports from 2024–2025 indicate that a growing number of teachers are leaving the profession or considering alternative careers, citing long hours, modest pay and limited progression. Internationally, UNESCO’s teacher reports warn that heavy workloads and low pay are pushing many young teachers to exit within their first years — a pattern visible across South Asia.

This creates a vicious cycle: vacancies increase class loads for those who remain, which in turn accelerates burnout and makes recruitment harder, especially outside major urban centres.

What the evidence implies

Improving teacher well-being and stabilising the workforce requires structural steps: more teachers to reduce class loads, streamlined administrative processes, protected planning and marking time, and clearer professional development pathways. These are not ancillary benefits; they are central levers for system quality. A teacher who spends every night grading is a teacher with less time to reflect, collaborate and rest — and students ultimately bear the cost.

In short

Supporting teachers is not charity. It is an investment in Bangladesh’s educational future — one that pays back in retention, recruitment and, most importantly, learning.