Shafi Sammi Mahdi:

Due to the coronavirus, the policymakers of the government are thinking of canceling the fifth grade primary education (PEC) and Ibtedayi education completion and eighth-grade junior school
certificate (JSC) and junior dakhil Certificate (JDC) examinations this year.

Discussions have also started on this. As an alternative, this test can be done only at school
level.

In this regard, Primary and Mass Education Secretary Akram Al Hossain told that they will soon
send a proposal to the government as a summary not to take the final examination of primary and
Ibtedayi education only this year. The proposal has already been made almost. Will be sent on
Sunday or Monday.

The secretary said they recently had a meeting with Ahmed Kaikaus, the chief secretary to the prime minister. There, too, they put forward their plans. The meeting also discussed JSC-JDC
exams. However, the Ministry of Education will propose the JSC and JDC examination.

When further asked, the Secretary of the Ministry of Secondary and Higher Education, Mahbub
Hossain told that they have received a proposal from the Bangladesh Examination Development
Unit regarding the examination. They will now discuss among themselves and send a summary to the
government. However, no final decision has been taken yet to cancel the test, the secretary said.

Before the last Eid, the Bangladesh Examination Development Unit proposed six alternatives for
the Junior School Certificate (JSC) and Junior Dakhil Certificate (JDC) examinations held at
the end of the eighth grade.

The proposal calls for curriculum and curriculum contraction and reduction of subjects to examinations in December. And if the situation is not normal, the students will get up to the ninth class without examination.

This proposal is being discussed in the Ministry of Education. All educational institutions in the country have been closed since March 16 due to corona. The leave has been extended in several phases till August 31. HSC exams could not be taken due to the pandemic.

Source: Prothom Alo