The results for the 2026 Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and equivalent examinations were officially published on Monday, revealing a concerning dip in overall academic performance across the country. While the nation celebrates the success of top-performing schools, a staggering statistic has emerged: not a single student managed to pass in 312 educational institutions.
Education Minister Dr. A.N.M. Ehsanul Hoque Milan officially inaugurated the publication of the results at a press conference held at the Secretariat on Monday morning, highlighting both the achievements and the structural challenges facing the education sector this year. A total of 18,29,485 students participated in the examinations from 30,402 institutions across 11 education boards.
A Steep Decline Compared to 2025
The data paints a grim picture when juxtaposed with the previous academic year. In 2025, the number of institutions with a zero percent pass rate stood at 134. This year, that figure has skyrocketed by 178, reaching a total of 312.
Conversely, the number of institutions achieving a flawless 100 percent pass rate has seen a significant drop. Only 669 institutions managed to see all their students pass this year, a sharp decrease of 315 compared to the 984 institutions that achieved this feat in 2025.
The overall national pass rate for 2026 stands at 62.25 percent, marking a notable decline of 6.2 percentage points from the 68.45 percent recorded last year. The number of highest achievers has also decreased, with 1,16,676 students securing a GPA-5 this year, down from 1,39,032 in 2025.
Breakdown of the Zero-Pass Institutions
A closer look at the 312 underperforming institutions reveals that the crisis is heavily concentrated in specific educational sectors. According to official board statistics:
- Madrasa Education Board: The highest number of failing institutions falls under this board, with an alarming 226 madrasas recording a zero pass rate.
- General Education Boards: 57 schools across the nine general education boards failed to produce a single successful candidate. Dinajpur board was the worst hit among these, with 18 zero-pass schools.
- Technical Education Board: 29 institutions operating under the technical board also recorded a 100 percent failure rate.
- Additionally, one overseas examination center reported zero passes this year.
Government Response and Next Steps
Addressing the sudden surge in zero-pass institutions, the Education Minister assured that the government would not ignore the issue. “There is a systematic process for addressing institutions where 100 percent of the students have failed,” Dr. Milan stated during the press briefing. He emphasized that the ministry will investigate the root causes behind these systematic academic failures—such as teacher shortages, infrastructural deficits, or administrative negligence—and implement the necessary measures to enforce accountability.
