This year's HSC and equivalent results, published on 31 October, deserve careful reading rather than alarm. Nationally, the pass rate across all boards stood at 52.12 per cent, reported as the lowest in 22 years, down from 58.83 per cent in 2025. The number of GPA-5 holders fell to 40,084 from 69,097 a year earlier.

There are bright spots. The Dhaka Education Board, which includes Munshiganj, recorded the highest pass rate among the nine general boards at 61.80 per cent, with 16,714 GPA-5s. Within our own district, Younus Khan Memorial School and College in Lohajang achieved a full pass rate, and Government Harganga College produced 26 of the district's 55 GPA-5s.

Yet the district figure, a 50.62 per cent pass rate among 8,615 examinees, shows how much work remains. The gap between upazilas is wide, with Lohajang at 64.91 per cent and Gazaria at 32.94 per cent. Behind every percentage are students now facing difficult choices about re-examination, admission and work.

We believe the response should be practical. First, every institution should study its subject-wise results and identify exactly where students struggled, rather than treating the outcome as a single verdict. Second, schools and colleges in lower-performing areas need targeted support: teacher training, better science and mathematics facilities, and regular follow-up on attendance. Third, the district administration's monthly Award of Excellence is a good example of positive pressure, and it could be paired with mentoring links between high-performing and struggling colleges.

Parents also have a role. As the Deputy Commissioner said at this week's award ceremony, regular counselling between teachers and parents can make a real difference. Students who did not pass deserve encouragement and clear information about re-examination and alternative pathways, not blame.

A tougher year is not a reason to lower expectations. It is a reason to invest in teaching, in learning and in the confidence of young people across Munshiganj, so that next year's numbers tell a better story.

Photo: Biswarup Ganguly, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons