Government plans digital platform to track student learning gaps

By the Editorial Team · Tuesday, October 27, 2026

The government is proposing the Unified Assessment System (UAS), a digital platform to track student learning progress from grades 1 to 12 using unique Edu-IDs to centralize assessment data. If approved, the system could improve identification of learning gaps and inform textbook revisions, though experts caution that successful implementation depends on consistent assessment standards and effective teacher involvement.

The government is advancing plans to develop a digital platform aimed at tracking student learning progress from classes 1 through 12. Known as the Unified Assessment System (UAS), the initiative seeks to create individual student profiles using unique identification numbers, or Edu-IDs, to record assessment data and identify learning gaps over time.

Officials from the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE) describe the platform as a tool to consolidate student assessment records and generate progress reports for teachers. However, the UAS will not alter existing grading or assessment methods; rather, it will serve as a centralized repository where educators can input data. The National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) will continue to design assessments independently, with the system adapting to any curricular or methodological changes. The available data could help highlight topics where students commonly struggle, potentially informing textbook revisions.

A revised proposal for the project, which is estimated to cost approximately Tk 124 crore, has been submitted to the Planning Commission for review. The UAS forms part of the broader NextGen Secondary Education Programme slated to run from January 2027 through December 2031, a Tk 3,397 crore initiative that also includes teacher training, digital classrooms, and artificial intelligence laboratories. There are also plans to eventually incorporate madrasa and technical education sectors into the platform.

Funding possibilities include support from the Global Partnership for Education, a World Bank-hosted multi-stakeholder partnership. In its initial phase, the system might be piloted in selected districts, replacing traditional registers and report cards with an offline data-entry mechanism designed to reduce teachers’ paperwork.

Despite the potential benefits, educational experts have voiced concerns about the platform's effectiveness. Samir Ranjan Nath, head of the BRAC Institute of Educational Development, emphasized that while UAS can generate a large volume of data, the utility of such data depends heavily on consistent and meaningful assessment standards, which are currently lacking in the school system. He noted that improving classroom teaching quality and academic supervision remains a greater challenge than record-keeping and called for the focus to be on core subjects and stream-specific courses from higher grades rather than monitoring every subject across all grades.

Critics reminded that previous attempts at similar digital and school-based assessments faced significant hurdles. For example, a 2005 pilot for classes 6 to 9 revealed widespread challenges in evaluation and record maintenance, compounded by insufficient teacher training. The more recent Noipunno digital platform saw limited comprehension among teachers; a 2024 NCTB survey indicated that only about 38 percent of teachers had a solid understanding of the assessment system.

Experts recommend piloting the UAS on a smaller scale, paired with stronger oversight by local education offices, emphasizing that teachers should be actively involved in developing assessment tools and utilizing results to improve classroom learning outcomes. DSHE officials maintain that the system is designed to save time rather than add to teachers’ workloads, with data entry becoming a streamlined process rather than a new administrative burden.

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