Lessons on child marriage exist but lack prevention steps
Representational image drawn by AI.
Humaira Akter is a 10th-grade student. She is 16 years old. This teenage girl, who regularly attends school, suddenly found out one day that her marriage would take place within a few days. Not long before, she had read in her textbooks about the detrimental effects of child marriage. She learned about its definition, harmful aspects, and even the legal provisions. But when she herself becomes a victim of this situation, can that knowledge show her a way to cope?
The rate of child marriage in Bangladesh has decreased compared to the past. However, the situation remains concerning. According to the preliminary findings of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2025, 47% of women aged 20-24 were married before reaching 18. In 2019, this rate was 51.4%. This means that despite progress, nearly one in two women is still being married before the age of 18.
In such a reality, merely teaching about the harms of child marriage or the law is not enough. It is crucial to prepare students on how to protect their rights if they are at risk, where to seek help, and how to continue their education—that preparation must also be given.
Textbooks Contain Information, But Measures is Lacking
A review of secondary-level textbooks reveals that discussions on child marriage are not entirely absent. The 7th-grade textbook "Bangladesh and Global Studies" includes discussions on the concept, causes, effects, prevention, and laws concerning child marriage in the last two chapters of the section on "Social Problems of Bangladesh." The issue also appears as a social problem in the 9th-10th grade textbooks.
However, opportunities for continuous learning about child marriage throughout secondary education are limited. Instead of having a dedicated chapter or a long-term curriculum, the topic is taught as part of broader social issues. At the higher secondary level, opportunities become even scarcer. Although some elective subjects like Social Work and Sociology include discussions on child marriage, since not all students take these, curriculum-based learning about the harmful effects of child marriage in grades 11-12 is very limited.
The Chief Editor of the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB), Professor Dr. A K M Shawkat Ali Khan, also acknowledged this limitation. He stated that while the current textbooks have some discussion on child marriage, there are plans to incorporate the issue more extensively in future curricula. Efforts have been made to refine and expand the topic in the 2026 curriculum as well.
In his view, merely teaching what child marriage is, its harms, or the laws is not sufficient. When a student faces child marriage in reality, how they can emerge from that situation should also be a part of education. He said, "If we could also include the measures a student can take to get out of such a situation when faced with child marriage, then the topic would become more effective."
Books Alone Are Not Enough; Practical Preparation is Needed
"Agamir Somoy" spoke with several secondary and higher secondary school teachers. From these conversations, it was learned that beyond the prescribed syllabus, most institutions do not have regular classes or dedicated time allocated for discussions on child marriage. While discussions do take place around various meetings, observance days, or awareness programs, most schools lack a structured framework to work on this issue consistently throughout the academic year.
Shahnaz Sultana, a teacher at Chapuir Azizul Haque High School in Brahmanbaria Sadar Upazila, and Mohammad Kamruzzaman Bhuiya, a teacher at Ulchapara Maleka Saheb Ali High School, both believe that alongside textbooks, work on child marriage needs to be more extensive and continuous.
Shahnaz Sultana stated that despite the textbooks covering the negative effects, laws, and prevention, applying them in reality is difficult unless the mindset of families and society changes. Therefore, regular awareness meetings with parents, involvement of local representatives and health workers, and effective steps are needed.
According to Mohammad Kamruzzaman Bhuiya, besides presenting the topic as a separate chapter or in more detail, teachers also need separate training on preventing child marriage. This would enable teachers to go beyond just giving information and be prepared to assist students in real-life situations.
Professor Mohammad Mominur Rashid from the Institute of Education and Research, University of Dhaka, said that textbooks could provide more information about the causes, harms, prevention, and laws regarding child marriage. However, alongside that, how teachers are teaching the subject and how much practical preparation they are giving students is also important.
This educationist commented, "If a student learns that a child marriage is about to take place in an area, where will they go first? If that doesn't work, where will they complain? How will they inform law enforcement or the relevant authorities? These need to be taught." According to Mominur Rashid, simply including a topic in a textbook won't solve the problem; all parties—state institutions, local government, parents, teachers, and students—must work together in a coordinated manner.
Commenting that the goal of preventing child marriage should not just be to increase students' knowledge, but to build their capacity to apply that knowledge in real life, he suggested that effective systems for rapidly reporting and taking action on child marriage at the local level are necessary. Such a cell or complaint mechanism could be set up in every union or village, with a specific phone number or contact method so that the authorities can be informed and take quick action.
Families must also be brought into the fold of awareness
The decision for child marriage is not just about the girl; the family's economic condition, social pressure, security concerns, and the guardians' perception of their daughter's future also play a big role. Therefore, alongside students, it is essential to bring families under the purview of awareness.
A reflection of the experts' words can be found in the experience of a guardian of a 7th-grade student. He said, "If these topics had been taught this way during my elder daughter's time, perhaps I wouldn't have married her off so early. Now, reading these in my younger daughter's book, I understand that more needs to be written and taught about the harms of child marriage."
Child marriage decreases as education increases
The link between education and child marriage is clear. According to the preliminary results of MICS 2025, among women aged 20-24, those with higher secondary or higher education have a marriage-before-18 rate of 28%. This rate is 56% for those with secondary-level education, 63% for lower secondary, and 69% for women with no education or only pre-primary education. For those with primary education, the rate is 71%. Among women from the poorest families, the rate of marriage before 18 is 63%.
That is, as education levels rise, the rate of marriage before 18 decreases. Therefore, it is not just about enrolling girls in school but also retaining them in their educational journey, as well as making that education effective in preventing child marriage.
NCTB Chief Editor Dr. A K M Shawkat Ali Khan has assured that issues related to preventing child marriage will be considered more seriously when formulating the new curriculum in 2028. He mentioned that if suggestions on this matter are received in writing, there is scope to consider them in the future curriculum.
It is not enough for a student to just write on an exam paper that child marriage is harmful or legally punishable; rather, if her own marriage is fixed, she must know how to protect her rights, where to seek help, who to go to, and how to continue her education. That preparation is now essential.
