“Sometimes it feels like we are puppets, here to listen to but not speak”: listening to the voices of young Bangladeshi students about barriers to well-being at school

Well-being commonly refers to the concept that equates to a good life. What constitutes a good life at school for students has emerged as an important education agenda over time due to its wide-reaching benefits. However, there is a limited understanding of the well-being experiences of children from diverse cultures and countries, particularly from the Global South, such as Bangladesh. This paper presents findings from a qualitative study among 40 Grade 7–10 students (aged 13–16 years) from Bangladesh, and aims to explore the barriers to their well-being experiences at school. Using a constructivist grounded theory approach, the authors found key three barriers: (i) punitive disciplinary school practices; (ii) poor pedagogic school practices; and (iii) perceived injustice at school that prevents students from experiencing well-being at school. The findings have implications for improving school practice and policy for promoting student well-being in Bangladesh.