Bangladesh’s HSC-Level ICT Curriculum and Labour Market Skill Mismatch: Evidence, Implementation Gaps, and a Reform Roadmap
Author (s)
Md. Maksudul Alam
Abstract
Since the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) level, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has been introduced as a compulsory subject in the educational curriculum of Bangladesh to expand the digital literacies of students and equip them for further studies, jobs and a technology-driven economy. The outcomes of the policy are mixed and there is a clear public value. The ICT syllabus is common across science, humanities and business studies but the students’ academic pathways and needs for skills may vary. This article explores the gap between the HSC ICT curriculum and skill demand in the labour market in Bangladesh. It is based on the official HSC textbook, teacher survey responses (70 valid responses), focus group discussions with students, key informant input, analysis of job advertisements, policy documents and secondary literature. The mismatch does not appear to be due to the textbook alone, from the analysis. It is influenced by low levels of practical delivery, access to practical laboratory facilities, narrow bandwidth of the internet, high class size, inadequate teacher preparation and little feedback from the labour market in curriculum design. The article suggests a new model that will have a common digital-literacy module for all students, group specific applied modules for students, practical assessment, teacher support and a shared upazila-level ICT skill lab. The main argument is that ICT should continue to be compulsory but not primarily as an examination subject but as a practical ability.
Key words: HSC ICT Curriculum, Bangladesh, Labour Market, Skill Mismatch, Digital Literacy, Employability, Blended Learning, Curriculum Reform, Secondary Education.
| Title: | Bangladesh’s HSC-Level ICT Curriculum and Labour Market Skill Mismatch: Evidence, Implementation Gaps, and a Reform Roadmap |
|---|---|
| Author: | Md. Maksudul Alam |
| Journal Name: | Journal of Scientific Reports |
| Website: | http://ijsab.com/jsr |
| ISSN: | ISSN: 2708-7085 (Online), ISSN: 3079-9317 (Print) |
| Publisher | IJSAB International |
| DOI: | https://doi.org/10.58970/JSR.1219 |
| Media: | Online |
| Volume: | 14 |
| Issue: | 1 |
| Acceptance Date: | 18/06/2026 |
| Date of Publication: | 24/06/2026 |
| PDF URL: | http://ijsab.com/wp-content/uploads/1219.pdf |
| Free download: | Available |
| Page: | 328-351 |
| First Page: | 328 |
| Last Page: | 351 |
| Paper Type: | Research paper |
| Current Status: | Published |
Cite This Article:
Alam, M. M. (2026). Bangladesh’s HSC-Level ICT Curriculum and Labour Market Skill Mismatch: Evidence, Implementation Gaps, and a Reform Roadmap, Journal of Scientific Reports, 14(1), 328-351. DOI: https://doi.org/10.58970/JSR.1219
About Author (s)
Md. Maksudul Alam, Associate Professor, Department of Economics, Govt. Shah Sultan College, Bogura; PhD Fellow, Institute of Bangladesh Studies, University of Rajshahi, Bangladesh. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-0599-7700
DOI: https://doi.org/10.58970/JSR.1219
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