Testing times: The affective impact of tests in Bangladeshi schools

Inadequate attention has been given to the nature and effects of testing on schooling in Bangladesh in research literature to date. In particular, there has been insufficient regard for the emotional or ‘affective’ impact of testing practices on students, educators and parents. We illustrate how the provision of a quality education presents as a particular challenge in a developing country such as Bangladesh, and how specific markers of achievement – notably test results, and particularly those associated with students’ attainment at the end of secondary schooling (Secondary School Certificate) – dictate so much of the lives of all stakeholders. Drawing upon literature and theorising associated with critical data studies, particularly in relation to the affective effects of testing, and interviews…