SSC, HSC: Education boards ready to hold re-exams in failed subjects within 3 months

The government has taken an initiative to allow students to retake examinations in subjects they have failed within three months of the publication of Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) results.

The education boards have informed the Ministry of Education that such examinations can be held for this year’s HSC and equivalent examinations. However, they said it would not be possible for this year’s SSC and equivalent examinations. That could be implemented from next year, said the boards.

The boards conveyed their views to the ministry on the matter on Monday. Now, the ministry will make a decision.

Professor Syed Akhtaruzzaman, president of the Inter-Education Board Coordination Committee, an organisation of the chairmen of all education boards, and chairman of the Dhaka Education Board, told Prothom Alo on Monday that the boards were ready to hold the examinations within three months.

They had submitted their opinions to the ministry, and the ministry would now decide on the next steps.

They have also informed the ministry that it would be possible to hold such examinations within three months for this year’s HSC examinations, he added.

An official from the education division, speaking to Prothom Alo on condition of anonymity, said a decision required further consideration, including how many subjects a student could fail and still be eligible to sit the examinations within three months. There’s also the issue of admission to higher education. So, it is not possible to announce a decision at the moment.

Currently, students who fail one or more subjects in public examinations such as the SSC and HSC must sit the examinations again the following year. They can choose to retake only the subjects they failed or sit examinations in all subjects.

However, failing just one or two subjects means students have to wait an entire year, which can put them behind in their education and create additional mental stress.

In this situation, candidates, parents and people involved in the education sector have been calling for a system that would allow students to retake examinations in subjects they have failed within three months of the publication of results.

Last Saturday, Campaign for Popular Education (CAMPE) organised a conference at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in the capital for students who had failed the SSC and equivalent examinations.

Students from different areas shared their problems and feelings at the event. A demand was also raised for students to be allowed to retake examinations in failed subjects within three months of the publication of results.

The government is also considering the matter positively. At the same event, prime minister’s adviser on education, Mahdi Amin, said the proposal to allow students who fail one or more subjects in public examinations such as the SSC to retake examinations in only those subjects within three months, rather than wait a year, would be considered positively.

However, he noted that introducing the system for this year’s SSC examinations might prove difficult.

Educationists as well as current and former chairmen of education boards also believe the boards would be able to hold such examinations if a decision were made.

This would save students from having to wait a year. Plus, it would reduce complications related to holding examinations for regular and irregular candidates together, as well as preparing and distributing question papers for them.

Tapan Kumar Sarkar, a former chairman of the Dhaka Education Board, told Prothom Alo on Sunday that there was currently no such provision in the public examinations. However, the system could be introduced if the Ministry of Education formulated a policy to that effect.

This would allow candidates to sit the examinations sooner rather than wait a year. Students lose an entire year of their lives because of a single subject, he said.

Tapan Kumar Sarkar believes that holding the examinations within three months would ease the pressure on students.

He said that although this would increase the boards’ workload, they have the capacity to conduct the examinations.

The number of such candidates was relatively low, and the examinations in these subjects could be completed within a few days. The matter was essentially a policy decision, he said.

If a decision were made, there would be no problem in holding the examinations, as the boards have the necessary staff and organisational capacity. The system would benefit both candidates and their parents, he added.

As many as 690,000 students failed one or more subjects in the latest SSC and equivalent examinations. The results were published on 10 August. Classes have already begun following admission to Class-XI.

Relevant sources say that, under the current circumstances, there is very little chance of holding examinations within three months for failed subjects in this year’s SSC examinations. This would have been possible if it had been planned in advance.

The system could therefore be introduced for this year’s HSC and equivalent examinations. The examinations began in July, with a total of 1,270,583 regular and irregular candidates.

The results of this year’s HSC and equivalent examinations are expected to be published between 25 and 29 October. The education boards have sent a proposal to the Ministry of Education suggesting that the results be published on any one of those days.

People involved in the education sector believe that introducing the system through a policy decision would help reduce students’ prolonged wait, mental stress and the risk of falling behind in their education.

Educationist Manzoor Ahmed, emeritus professor at BRAC University, also believes that students who fail should be given an opportunity to retake examinations as soon as possible.

He further said that questions have also been raised about how reliable the methods used to assess students are. Therefore, students should be given as many opportunities as possible.

Professor Manzoor Ahmed told Prothom Alo on Sunday that allowing students to retake an examination after failing a subject as soon as possible would be a positive initiative. The government could introduce the system by taking students’ interests into account.