English vs Bangla Medium Divide: Education or Social Class Marker
Progress and prosperity of a nation is often rooted in an education system that is both accessible to all and inclusive. Education is always viewed as the backbone of a nation. A robust and inclusive education system is possible if national language is used as a medium of instruction. This can significantly impact the academic performance of learners in a positive manner. It helps learners to understand the subject better and foster a sense of cultural identity and pride. It also helps bridge the gap between home and school environments, leading to increased parental involvement in education. When learners are taught in a language they understand deeply, comprehension improves, engagement widens, and knowledge becomes more democratically distributed across society. When educators use local language as medium of instructions, they can create a supporting teaching and learning environment. Learners feel more empowered to express themselves confidently. Therefore, it is imperative that the issue of language as a medium of instructions in promoting inclusive education has to be tackled with the seriousness it deserves. If we look at the countries such as China and Russia who built a strong education system largely grounded in their own languages, Mandarin and Russian. This is to ensure that scientific knowledge, technological training, cultural norms and education remains accessible to most of the population. They have invested heavily in developing terminology, research and innovation within their national linguistic framework instead of depending on a foreign language as the gateway to advancement. Such approach is most effective not only to strengthen national identity but also enhance social inclusion, allowing education to function as the most important drivers of economic, social and technological progress.
In post-colonial societies like Bangladesh, Medium of Instruction has turned into a matter of dispute for various reasons such as favouring foreign languages over local and mother tongue and creating inconsistencies between education policies and practices. Nation`s political, economic, social and historical narratives have had played a significant role on medium of Instruction policies in Education. In Bangladesh, the choice between Bangla medium and English medium education is presented as a matter of academic preference, but this created a huge social divide and has increasingly become a quite yet powerful indicator of social class. It is also important to acknowledge that the colonial heritage of English and its status had an effect of social, cultural and political development of Bangladesh since the time of colonial rule. In Bengal, we have witnessed a significant influence of missionaries on the spread of publicly run Western-style education system. During 19th and early 20th century there was an important societal shift in history when the Protestants championed the cause of widespread education in their respective nations with the aim of “civilising” the working class. These doctrines systematically extended to their colonies. Such so called `altruistic` nature of` `universal education` garnered support from their rulers. During British Raj, the British Government started to fund on a limited scale to elementary education in India. During this time affluent Indians took it upon themselves to establish private education system without funding from the British Government. Their unwavering support and commitment in providing high quality education for their children led to the creation of education system that closely followed the English education model, with English pedagogy and curriculum being the sole means of achieving modernisation. Such education model continued in Post Colonial Pakistan and Bangladesh and yet never has encountered any noteworthy opposition. Over the past three decades after the liberalisation of education system in Bangladesh, the divide of using English and Bangla medium as Instruction of Education widen and now a huge class of society committed to send their children to English medium Institution.
In Bangladesh, the disparity between government-supported formal education, which is under-resourced and adheres to colonial norms, and privately funded modern English education for the affluent has led to significant illiteracy rates. Tagore once stated the core vision of Indian education. “Our link to the reality of the world is of three kinds: the connection made by the intellect, the connection arising out of need, and the connection found in joy.” (From the speech delivered by Tagore at the National Council for Education and first published in 1907). He described Indian education is not mere knowledge, but it is a perception of the soul by the soul. Knowledge led us to power but `soul by the soul` gives us joy. He suggested to decolonised education system and justified stating that the education we get does not match the lifestyle of ours, the urge for improvement of our home is not there in our books. Colonial education system was introduced to run the colonial administration and trade by producing professional and office clerks. Even though we are a sovereign nation, but colonial models of education remain untouched.
In recent times English medium education is growing in Bangladesh specifically among urban Higher- and middle-class families. Hence, we observe a class divide in the education landscape. Bangladesh Bureau of Educational Information and Statistics (BANBEIS) in 2024 reports that more than 90 lakhs students studying in nearly 20, 500 secondary schools in Bangladesh. But English medium schools are growing at unprecedented level. Currently, based on the data from British council over 30,000 students studying at roughly 168 schools nationwide. However, 127 schools are located in Dhaka. Why the tendency towards English Medium schools are growing? There are number of reasons. There has historically been a tendency in Bangladesh to view English-medium education as superior. Mainly elite class is associated with English medium school is past. But now a growing middle-class family with sky high dreams and aspiration also want their children to be educated in English to enhance future opportunities in abroad whether it is for Higher education or employment. Many see this as robust preparation for global opportunities. There are other reasons too. Many believe that Bangla Medium education system is sub-standard and not advancing learners aptitude and skills set they need for the future job markets. But ultimate outcome of such two-tier education systems to divide the education landscape and create two tier social class. English medium schools are chosen by those families with greater financial resources while lower income middle-class families turn to Bangla medium school or madrasas.
The perceptions are different. Studying at English medium school means more articulate and globally oriented while Bangla-medium students may be unfairly judged as less competitive, despite having similar or even stronger academic capabilities. Such divide extends beyond classroom into social spaces, influencing how young people see themselves and how they are perceived by others. Language is not becoming a tool for communication, it turns into a marker of belonging, privilege, and aspiration. Students from Bangla-medium backgrounds feels that fluency in English medium is equated with intelligence and professionalism. Over time English medium students may gradually become detached from local realities, navigating a system that prioritises global relevance over national context. As a result, the education system unintentionally reinforces social boundaries rather than bridging them. In such a landscape, the question is no longer just about language of instruction, but about fairness, opportunity, and the kind of society Bangladesh aspires to build.
The implications of this phenomenon are particularly evident in the local job market, where employees in the private sector consistently lean towards hiring candidates with English proficiency and experience in globalized business cultures. Consequently, graduates from Bangla-medium education backgrounds, who are equally qualified, face an unacceptable disadvantage, as this communication and situational awareness gap is culturally. This situation perpetuates the cycle of language as an indicator of skill and education as a level indicator of social strata. The perception of Bangla as an inferior language in the ordering of the opportunities offered prompts an examination of the criteria for defining development. Is advancing solely based on becoming part of a global workforce, or is there merit in relying on locally integrated systems? The focus of investment in Bangla-medium education must expand to include teaching, critical thinking, communication (including English), and all the components of pedagogy. Conversely, English-medium schools must focus on local issues. The divide between English and Bangla medium schools, if not addressed, will perpetuate an increasingly coordinated social stratification system.