Teaching Peace: A Critical Analysis of Peace Education in Bangladesh’s Primary School Curriculum

Abstract

This research critically examines the representation of peace education in primary school textbooks in Bangladesh, a country where social inequality, religious tensions, and structural injustice make peace education both a pedagogical need and a civic imperative. Through textbook analysis, interviews with teachers and policymakers, and policy review, the study uncovers a fragmented, superficial, and largely symbolic portrayal of peace.

Although themes like cooperation, respect, and environmental awareness are present- especially in religious textbooks- peace education is not treated as a standalone or transformative subject. It is often framed as character building rather than a civic or structural concern, avoiding sensitive issues like conflict resolution, inequality, or emotional literacy. Textbooks favour "negative peace" over "positive peace", offering sanitized narratives that prioritize obedience over critical thinking. Political reluctance, religious orthodoxy, and institutional inertia shape this cautious approach. Peace content is overrepresented in religious texts and underrepresented in secular subjects, reinforcing the idea of peace as a religious virtue. Secular subjects largely avoid controversial civic topics such as ethnic conflict, gender roles, or class disparity, reflecting a broader political and institutional reluctance to challenge dominant narratives. Gender roles are often presented through a binary lens, reinforcing stereotypes and excluding non-binary identities. Meanwhile, teachers lack the training, time, and institutional support to effectively implement peace education, and national policy offers rhetorical support without operational mechanisms for curriculum or teacher development.

Peace education in Bangladesh primary curriculum is symbolically present but substantively absent. To be meaningful, it must be explicitly embedded across subjects, supported by teacher training, inclusive narratives, and practical tools that reflect the complexities of identity, conflict, and coexistence. This study urges policymakers and educators to move beyond rhetorical inclusion toward a holistic and critical peace education model.