Children in Class 3 at Milestone School are typically 9 to 10 years old. From 8 am to 1 pm, they attend seven daily classes.
After that comes another session for these young pupils—called the “extra class.” Even on July 21, the day a military aircraft crashed into the school in Uttara, Dhaka, this routine remained unchanged. Despite their exhaustion from regular classes, students were waiting for their extra session.
During the short break between regular classes and the extra class, many students were eating lunch. Afia Umme Maryam, a Class 3 student in the Cloud section, was eating rice just minutes before the crash. While survivors later recalled her presence, her family has not been able to trace her since.
Afia was not the only one. Waiting for the “extra class” tragically altered the fate of many students that day—some lost their lives, some are now hospitalized with burns, and a few remain missing.
Milestone School and College, a private educational institution, charges high fees. The family of Abdullah Shamim, a deceased Class 6 English version student, claims the admission fee is 50,000 taka and the monthly tuition is 4,200 taka. Victims, guardians, and education experts are now questioning why, despite such high costs, students across all grades are subjected to mandatory “extra classes”—which in Shamim’s section reportedly costs an additional 6,000 taka.
Investigations reveal that participation in these extra coaching sessions is mandatory. If a student does not attend, their parents are required to submit a written declaration to the school.
“One of the teachers threatens us with failure if we skip coaching. The declaration even says if we don’t attend and perform poorly, the school can take any action against us,” said a Class 3 student who wished to remain anonymous.
A parent, whose two children attend the school, expressed frustration: “The school took money from us for everything—land, building, and more. We even had to pay an extra 3,000 taka along with tuition. We tolerated it all because we had no choice.”
When Banglanews contacted Bangla-medium teachers Md Kashruzzaman and Ferdous Mili, their responses were inconsistent.
Kashruzzaman claimed, “No coaching takes place after class.” But when asked why students were still in classrooms after the 1 pm dismissal, he replied, “A few were waiting for their parents.” Asked why they were waiting in classrooms, he had no clear answer.
He later claimed to recall how many students were present that day but estimated only 30 students were in the three lower-grade classrooms—despite the confirmed death toll being 31. He offered no explanation for this discrepancy.
Ferdous Mili also avoided acknowledging the extra class initially but later admitted it, claiming students were not forced. When asked for attendance data, she said they were “working on it.” When reminded that attendance is recorded daily, she replied, “We know how many were injured or killed. We’re under pressure and working on everything. We’ll share information in due time.”
When Banglanews contacted another teacher, Humayun Rashid, a Class 4 form teacher, he became irritated upon learning the caller was a journalist. He questioned why he was contacted without permission and warned not to call again.
Despite repeated attempts, Milestone School and College Principal Mohammad Ziaul Alam could not be reached.
According to the Bangladesh Education Act 2016 and the Ministry of Education's regulations, no student can be forced to attend extra classes during or after school hours. Such sessions must be optional and voluntary.
However, in many schools, teacher pressure makes these extra classes effectively mandatory, a practice that is legally prohibited and violates student rights.
Childhood is becoming exhausting
“We are living in an education system where even small children are subjected to a coaching business disguised as extra classes. This sacrifices their childhood and hinders mental development. Why must students attend extra sessions after already long school days?” said educationist Rasheda K. Choudhury.
She told Banglanews, “We are burdening our children with exhausting childhoods. We’ve taken away their basic needs—sleep, food, rest, and play—and replaced it with books and coaching. We are heartbroken over the Diabari incident, but will it awaken our conscience? Why should students be forced to stay after class for extra sessions? If a child struggles with a subject, it should be addressed in the classroom. But instead, we've turned education into a business.”
Students are withdrawing from non-academic activities
UNESCO’s 2009 study “Confronting the Shadow Education System” found that students spend so much time on private tutoring or coaching after school that they miss out on proper rest, sleep, and play. As a result, they gradually withdraw from non-academic engagement like friendship, social interaction, and creativity.
The report referred to this as a “shadow education system”—an external, commercial pressure that burdens children’s psychological wellbeing.
Another study published in Spring Education Journal 2020 found students facing severe time constraints. Due to coaching and homework, they struggle to find time to rest, play, or spend meaningful moments with their families.
SMS/
