Topic vocabulary: education
Education is one of the most common IELTS topics in Writing Task 2 and Speaking Part 3. Learn 31 precise terms and collocations, from tertiary education and tuition fees to rote learning and brain drain. You will also learn how to describe the Bangladeshi system (SSC, HSC, coaching centres) in natural international English, and how to avoid the local expressions examiners mark as errors.
By the end of this lesson you will be able to:
- Use 31 high-value education terms and their collocations accurately (sit an exam, enrol on a course, tuition fees)
- Describe the Bangladeshi education system clearly to an international examiner
- Avoid common Bangladeshi-English errors such as ‘give an exam’, ‘pass out’ and ‘knowledges’
- Discuss key debates (rote learning vs critical thinking, online vs classroom learning, brain drain) with precise vocabulary
- Answer Speaking Part 3 education questions with developed, well-supported ideas
Set 1 — The education system
Saved as flashcards with a free accounttertiary education
noun phrase/ˌtɜːʃəri ˌedʒuˈkeɪʃn/
Education at university or college level, after secondary school.
উচ্চশিক্ষা (বিশ্ববিদ্যালয় পর্যায়ের শিক্ষা)
The government has expanded access to tertiary education by opening new public universities in several districts.
vocational training
noun phrase/vəʊˈkeɪʃənl ˈtreɪnɪŋ/
Practical training that prepares people for a particular job or trade, such as electrician, nurse, chef or mechanic.
বৃত্তিমূলক বা কারিগরি প্রশিক্ষণ
Expanding vocational training in trades such as welding and electrical work could help reduce youth unemployment.
curriculum
noun (pl. curricula / curriculums)/kəˈrɪkjələm/
All the subjects taught in a school, college or course, and the content of each. A syllabus is the content of one subject.
পাঠ্যক্রম
Many experts believe financial literacy should be part of the secondary school curriculum.
compulsory
adjective/kəmˈpʌlsəri/
Required by law or by a rule. Opposite: optional or voluntary.
বাধ্যতামূলক
Primary education is free and compulsory in Bangladesh.
enrol
verb/ɪnˈrəʊl/
To officially join a school, university or course. American spelling: enroll. Noun: enrolment (US: enrollment).
ভর্তি হওয়া; নাম তালিকাভুক্ত করা
More girls than boys now enrol in secondary schools in Bangladesh.
tuition fees
noun (plural)/tjuˈɪʃn fiːz/
The money that students pay to a college or university for their teaching.
শিক্ষাব্যয়; টিউশন ফি
Tuition fees for international students at many UK universities exceed £20,000 a year.
scholarship
noun/ˈskɒləʃɪp/
Money given to a student by an organisation to pay for their studies, usually because of academic merit or financial need.
বৃত্তি
She won a full scholarship that covers both her tuition fees and her living costs in Australia.
coaching centre
noun/ˈkəʊtʃɪŋ ˌsentə/
A private business that gives extra lessons to prepare students for exams, especially public exams and university admission tests.
কোচিং সেন্টার
Many HSC candidates spend more time at coaching centres than in their college classrooms.
public examination
noun/ˌpʌblɪk ɪɡˌzæmɪˈneɪʃn/
An exam set and marked by a national body and taken by all students at the same stage, such as the SSC and HSC.
পাবলিক পরীক্ষা
Results in public examinations largely decide which university a student can attend.
qualification
noun/ˌkwɒlɪfɪˈkeɪʃn/
An official record, such as a degree or certificate, showing that you have completed a course or have a skill.
যোগ্যতা; সনদ
Employers increasingly look for practical skills as well as formal qualifications.
extracurricular activities
noun (plural)/ˌekstrəkəˈrɪkjələ ækˈtɪvətiz/
Activities such as sport, clubs, debating or volunteering that students do in addition to their normal lessons.
সহশিক্ষা কার্যক্রম
Debating and other extracurricular activities help students develop confidence and teamwork.
Collocations: which verb goes with which noun?
| Noun | Natural verbs and adjectives | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
an exam | sit / take / pass / fail / retake (BrE: resit) an exam | ✗ give an exam (teachers give or set exams; students sit or take them) |
a degree | do / take / complete / obtain / be awarded a degree in (subject) | ✗ make a degree, ✗ achieve a degree in |
a course | enrol on / sign up for / take / complete / drop out of a course | ✗ admit a course |
education | receive / pursue / continue your education; higher / tertiary / compulsory / formal education | ✗ take education from |
a scholarship | apply for / win / be awarded / study on a scholarship | ✗ get scholarship (no article) |
tuition fees | pay / charge / raise / abolish / cover tuition fees | ✗ tuition fee is expensive (fees are high) |
the curriculum | design / reform / broaden / overhaul the curriculum; on the curriculum | ✗ in the curriculum (on is more natural for subjects) |
skills | acquire / develop / foster / practise skills | ✗ learn skills from zero |
knowledge | gain / acquire / apply / broaden your knowledge | ✗ knowledges, ✗ a knowledge about |
school | attend / start / leave / drop out of school | ✗ attend to school |
Check: the education system
6 questions- 1
Match each term to its meaning.
tertiary educationvocational trainingcurriculumscholarshipcompulsoryextracurricular - 2
She plans to on a master’s course in public health at a university in Manchester.
- 3
More than a million students the HSC examinations every year.
- 4
The university has decided to raise tuition by ten per cent next year.
- 5
He was awarded a full that covers all his fees and living costs.
- 6
Which sentence would sound most natural to an IELTS examiner?
Answer every question to check.
Set 2 — Teaching and learning
Saved as flashcards with a free accountrote learning
noun/ˌrəʊt ˈlɜːnɪŋ/
Learning information by repeating it until you remember it, often without understanding it.
মুখস্থবিদ্যা; না বুঝে মুখস্থ করা
Critics argue that rote learning produces students who can recite answers but cannot apply them to new problems.
critical thinking
noun/ˌkrɪtɪkl ˈθɪŋkɪŋ/
The ability to analyse information carefully, question assumptions and reach reasoned judgements.
বিচারবিশ্লেষণমূলক চিন্তা
Group projects and open-ended questions encourage critical thinking far more than multiple-choice tests do.
memorise
verb/ˈmeməraɪz/
To learn something carefully so that you can remember it exactly. American spelling: memorize.
মুখস্থ করা
Instead of memorising model essays, learn flexible phrases that you can adapt to any question.
cram
verb (informal)/kræm/
To study a large amount of information in a short time, usually just before an exam.
পরীক্ষার আগে তাড়াহুড়ো করে পড়া
Students who cram the night before an exam often forget most of the material within a week.
hands-on
adjective/ˌhændz ˈɒn/
Involving actually doing or using things yourself, rather than only reading or watching.
হাতে-কলমে
Science lessons are far more memorable when students get hands-on experience in the laboratory.
distance learning
noun/ˈdɪstəns ˌlɜːnɪŋ/
A way of studying in which students learn at home or at work and communicate with teachers online, instead of attending classes.
দূরশিক্ষণ
Bangladesh Open University offers distance learning programmes for people who cannot study full-time.
self-discipline
noun/ˌself ˈdɪsəplɪn/
The ability to make yourself do what you should do, even when you do not feel like doing it.
আত্মনিয়ন্ত্রণ; স্বশৃঙ্খলা
Online courses demand a high level of self-discipline because nobody checks whether you attend.
academic performance
noun/ˌækəˈdemɪk pəˈfɔːməns/
How well a student does in their studies, usually measured by grades and exam results.
শিক্ষাগত ফলাফল; পড়াশোনার মান
Research suggests that lack of sleep has a direct effect on academic performance.
student-teacher ratio
noun/ˌstjuːdnt ˈtiːtʃə ˌreɪʃiəʊ/
The number of students for every teacher in a school or education system.
শিক্ষার্থী-শিক্ষক অনুপাত
In some government primary schools, the student-teacher ratio is higher than fifty to one.
peer pressure
noun/ˈpɪə ˌpreʃə/
The influence that people of your own age or group have on you to behave or think like them.
সমবয়সীদের চাপ
Peer pressure can push teenagers to choose the same subjects as their friends instead of those they enjoy.
mixed-ability
adjective/ˌmɪkst əˈbɪləti/
Describing a class or group in which students of different levels of ability are taught together.
বিভিন্ন মেধাস্তরের শিক্ষার্থী মিলিয়ে গঠিত
Teaching a mixed-ability class of sixty students is an enormous challenge for any teacher.
Correct the Bangladeshi-English errors
7 questions- 1
Find and correct the mistake:
I gave my HSC exams in 2024.
- 2
Find and correct the mistake:
My brother passed out from Dhaka University in 2020.
- 3
Find and correct the mistake:
Teachers should give students more knowledges about the real world.
- 4
Find and correct the mistake:
Many students are studying in university without a clear goal.
- 5
Find and correct the mistake:
Rote learning makes students to memorise facts without understanding them.
- 6
Find and correct the mistake:
Distance learning suits people who cannot attend to classes regularly.
- 7
In British English, what does ‘private tuition’ mean?
Answer every question to check.
Set 3 — Access, equality and outcomes
Saved as flashcards with a free accountliteracy rate
noun/ˈlɪtərəsi reɪt/
The percentage of people in a population who can read and write. Opposite of literacy: illiteracy.
সাক্ষরতার হার
Bangladesh’s adult literacy rate has risen considerably since independence.
dropout rate
noun/ˈdrɒpaʊt reɪt/
The percentage of students who leave school or a course before finishing it. Verb: drop out (of).
ঝরে পড়ার হার
Poverty and early marriage are two key reasons for the high dropout rate among rural girls.
brain drain
noun/ˈbreɪn dreɪn/
The movement of highly educated or skilled people from their own country to another country where pay and conditions are better.
মেধাপাচার
Every year the brain drain costs Bangladesh many talented doctors, engineers and researchers.
employability
noun/ɪmˌplɔɪəˈbɪləti/
The skills and qualities that make a person likely to get a job and keep it.
চাকরি পাওয়ার যোগ্যতা
Internships and work placements greatly improve the employability of new graduates.
graduate unemployment
noun/ˈɡrædʒuət ˌʌnɪmˈplɔɪmənt/
A situation in which people with university degrees cannot find suitable jobs.
শিক্ষিত বেকারত্ব
High graduate unemployment suggests a mismatch between what universities teach and what employers need.
underfunded
adjective/ˌʌndəˈfʌndɪd/
Not given enough money to work properly or provide a good service.
অপর্যাপ্ত অর্থায়নপ্রাপ্ত
Many public colleges outside the major cities remain underfunded and understaffed.
equal opportunities
noun (plural)/ˌiːkwəl ˌɒpəˈtjuːnətiz/
The principle that everyone should have the same chances in education and work, whatever their gender, wealth or background.
সমান সুযোগ
Free tertiary education would give equal opportunities to talented students from poor families.
lifelong learning
noun/ˌlaɪflɒŋ ˈlɜːnɪŋ/
Continuing to learn new knowledge and skills throughout your life, not only at school or university.
আজীবন শিক্ষা
Because technology changes so quickly, lifelong learning is now essential in almost every career.
well-rounded
adjective/ˌwel ˈraʊndɪd/
Having a wide range of skills, interests and experiences, not only academic knowledge.
সর্বাঙ্গীণ বিকশিত; বহুমুখী গুণসম্পন্ন
Schools should aim to produce well-rounded individuals, not just high scorers in exams.
Explaining the Bangladeshi system to an examiner
| Local term | Natural international English | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
SSC | the Secondary School Certificate, a national exam taken at about 16 (similar to GCSEs in the UK) | I sat my SSC exams when I was sixteen. |
HSC | the Higher Secondary Certificate, the national school-leaving exam taken at about 18 (similar to A levels) | My HSC results decided which university I could apply to. |
GPA 5 | the top grade / the highest possible grade point average | I got the highest grade, GPA 5, in science. |
admission test | a university entrance exam / admission test | The entrance exam for public universities is extremely competitive. |
coaching | a coaching centre / private tutoring centre | I attended a coaching centre to prepare for the entrance exams. |
tuition (private) | private lessons / private tuition | Many students have private lessons in maths and physics. |
Honours | a four-year bachelor’s degree (with honours) | I’m in the third year of a four-year bachelor’s degree in economics. |
English medium / Bangla medium | a school where lessons are taught in English / in Bangla | I went to a Bangla-medium school, so English was a separate subject. |
madrasa | a religious school (madrasa) | Some students follow a madrasa curriculum that includes religious studies. |
Band 6 vs Band 8: a Task 2 paragraph on rote learning
Band 6 style
In Bangladesh many students memorise everything for the exam. They go to coaching and memorise the answers and they get good marks, but they don’t understand the subject. When they go to the university they face many problems because they can’t think by themselves. So the education system should change and teachers should teach more practical things.
Band 8 style
In Bangladesh, the pressure to achieve top grades in public examinations has encouraged a heavy reliance on rote learning. Many students attend coaching centres where they memorise model answers, and while this strategy often produces impressive results, it does little to develop critical thinking. The consequences become apparent at tertiary level, where students are expected to evaluate sources and construct their own arguments. To address this, the curriculum should place greater emphasis on hands-on projects and open-ended questions that reward understanding rather than recall. Such reforms would produce more well-rounded graduates and, ultimately, improve their employability.
Both writers have the same opinion. The Band 8 paragraph wins on Lexical Resource because it names things precisely (‘memorise everything’ → ‘a heavy reliance on rote learning’; ‘go to coaching’ → ‘attend coaching centres’; ‘the university’ → ‘tertiary level’; ‘practical things’ → ‘hands-on projects and open-ended questions’). It also links cause to effect (pressure → rote learning → weak critical thinking → problems at university → solution → better employability), which raises Coherence and Task Response too.
Speaking Part 3 practice
6 questions · up to 90s eachWhy do you think so many students in your country attend private coaching centres?
Listen to the question, then record your answer.
Tips for a band 7+ answer
- • Use the A-R-E pattern: Answer directly, give a Reason, then an Example from Bangladesh or your own experience. Aim for four to six sentences.
- • Use at least two topic collocations in every answer: sit exams, rote learning, tuition fees, equal opportunities, brain drain.
- • Part 3 is about society, not just you. Talk about ‘students in general’, ‘parents’, ‘the government’, ‘employers’.
- • Show a balanced view before giving your opinion: ‘On the one hand… That said… Personally, I’d argue…’
- • If you forget a word, paraphrase it: ‘colleges that teach practical job skills’ still communicates ‘vocational institutes’.
Final quiz: education vocabulary
11 questions- 1
Critics claim the system encourages learning rather than genuine understanding.
- 2
Debating clubs help to foster critical among young people.
- 3
In some villages, poverty forces children to drop of school to support their families.
- 4
The government hopes to reverse the brain by offering researchers better salaries and facilities.
- 5
Internships can greatly improve the of new graduates.
- 6
Match each problem to a sensible solution.
a high dropout rate among rural girlstoo much rote learningbrain draingraduate unemploymentunderfunded rural schools - 7
Which collocation is NOT natural?
- 8
A Reading passage says: ‘Applicants without formal qualifications may be admitted if they can demonstrate relevant work experience.’ Which statement agrees with it?
- 9
Find and correct the mistake:
Tuition fee in British universities are very expensive.
- 10
‘She is a well-rounded student.’ This means she…
- 11
Find and correct the mistake:
Online learning requires a lot of self-discipline and it is suitable for every students.
Answer every question to check.
Key takeaways
Keep your progress
You've completed 0 of 4 activities. A free Abroadway account saves your scores, turns new vocabulary into flashcards and builds a daily plan around your target band, with a full mock exam every week.