Textbooks of 11,268 candidates of Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and Dakhil exams in Sylhet and Sunamganj districts were damaged due to floods. Those students are to get new books. The postponed SSC and equivalent exams will start after at least two weeks of distributing books to these students.
A chairman of an education board, who did not wish to be named, told Prothom Alo Thursday that the SSC and equivalent examinations are likely to start in mid-August. Education minister Dipu Moni called a press conference for 17 July regarding this exam. The accurate schedule will be announced at the press conference. The concerned authorities have been asked to hand over books to the affected SSC and equivalent candidates within the next one week. The National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) has been performing the task of providing the books.
This year's SSC and equivalent exams were scheduled to begin on 19 June. But due to severe floods in some parts of the country including Sylhet and Sunamganj, it was postponed two days before the examination.
Over 2 million candidates of SSC and equivalent exams faced uncertainty.
Books from Chattogram and Cumilla to be sent to Sylhet and Sunamganj
It is learned from two senior officials of NCTB, the Sylhet regional deputy director of the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education has provided information that the textbooks of the examinees have been damaged in Sylhet and Sunamganj.
The books of 8,163 SSC candidates in Sunamganj and 2,423 Dakhil were damaged. And in Sylhet there are 534 SSC candidates and 148 Dakhil candidates whose textbooks have been damaged.
A senior NCTB official told Prothom Alo that there are a number of extra textbooks in Chattogram, Cumilla and Brahmanbaria districts. Those will be given to the affected students. Books from Chattogram region will go to Sunamganj. Books from Cumilla and Brahmanbaria districts will be given to the affected students in Sylhet.
The books have been directed to be sent to Sunamganj and Sylhet districts by next Sunday, said NCTB chairman professor Farhadul Islam.
Sunamganj district education officer Jahangir Alam told Prothom Alo that they are hoping that when the school reopens on 20 July after the holidays, they will be able to hand over the books to the affected students.
HSC in October
Meanwhile, this year's HSC and equivalent exams are also delayed as the SSC exam has been postponed due to floods. According to the previous announcement, the probable date for the start of this year's HSC examination was 22 August.
However, the concerned officials of the education boards say that a gap of two months is needed between the SSC and HSC exams for preparation. So if the SSC exam can be started in mid-August, then the HSC exam will be in October.