SSC and HSC exams 'uncertain' again

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There is an uncertainty as to whether the examinations of Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) of this year will be held or not.

Even, none of the authorities concerned could provide any info regarding this matter.

The government had planned to arrange these examinations after taking a 60 and 80 day-long in-person classes both for SSC and HSC respectively, which was supposed to resume on 30 March. But the massive surge of Covid-19 infections has forced the government to continue the shutdown of educational institutions.

Officials at Dhaka Education Board said it is not possible to declare a fresh timeframe for the examinations amid the current situation of Covid-19. But it completely depends on the decision of government’s high-ups whether the result of HSC will be drawn through assessment, based on previous classes’ results, in lieu of examination.

The secretary of Dhaka Education Board Tapan Kumar Sarkar told Prothom Alo that they are in the process of filling up the SSC exam forms, preparing the question papers and printing them. They have taken these initiatives to make prompt reply if the government makes any decision regarding this matter.

The educational institutions have remained closed since 17 March last year to contain the surge of coronavirus pandemic. Nearly a year later, the education ministry had planned to resume the classroom learning for both SSC and HSC levels at the first week of February this year.

To implement this plan, National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) had formulated short syllabus for the respective grades. But the government’s high-ups didn’t pay any heed to this plan considering the situation of Covid-19 infection.

Later, the government announced that all educational institutions would reopen their doors from 30 March. Then, examinations (SSC and HSC) will be held after conducting a 60-day long class for SSC and 80 for HSC students.

But the government has forced to drop this plan too as the country sees the records of infection and deaths for Covid-19 for weeks. The fresh date of resuming in-person learning in schools and colleges is 23 May while it is 24 May for universities.

A senior official of Dhaka Education Board told Prothom Alo that their plan was to start the SSC exams in the first week of July after a 60-day class and to take the HSC exams in September with a two-month break after the SSC exams. They wanted to announce a schedule to this end. But now all the plans have to be dropped.

Time of form fill-up to be extended

Dhaka Board secretary Tapan Kumar Sarkar told Prothom Alo that despite the uncertainty, they are making preparations. Following this, they instructed the SSC graders to fill-up the exam form online between 1 and 7 April.

However, now the time to fill the form will be extended due to 'lockdown'. Extended time will be notified at the end of the lockdown. Candidates do not have to pay extra fee for this, he added.

Apart from filling up the forms, question papers have been prepared and sent to BG (Bangladesh Government) press for printing. The secretary said that even if there is any alternative, the form has to be filled.

Next year’s examinees are in deep trouble

Next year’s SSC examinees had attended classes a few days after they were promoted to ninth grade in January last year. But they didn’t attend any class in the 10th grade. Similarly, next year's HSC candidates could not attend classes properly.

In this situation, a senior official of Dhaka Board said, there is no scope to hold the SSC examination in February and HSC in April in the next year.

Professor Manzoor Ahmed, an eminent educationist, suggested that an education rescue programme will need to be taken to address the long-term challenges faced by education due to Covid-19.

*This report appeared in the print and online editions of Prothom Alo, has been rewritten in English by NH Sajjad