Admission tests at public schools of Dhaka after polls

The government is set to reschedule admission tests of public schools of the capital, after the 11th parliamentary election to be held on December 23.

Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE) officials preparing guidelines for the admission test said they are thinking about holding the admission tests between December 26 and 30.

Government secondary schools in Dhaka will be divided into three categories -- A, B and C -- on the basis of their locations.

Distribution of forms for admission in the government schools in the capital will begin on December 1 and will continue till December 13.

About 75,700 aspiring students applied for 10,230 seats in 35 government schools of the city last year.

The draft guideline for admission tests of 38 government schools had originally proposed exam dates of December 17, 18 and 19, said a DSHE director.

“We will need to reschedule the admission test due to the election,” DSHE Director Prof Abdul Mannan told The Daily Star.

Work of finalising the date of admission tests and guideline is in the last stage, he added. “We contacted the Election Commission asking whether we can arrange the exams on December 17, 18 and 19, but they responded that it would not be feasible as electioneering will be in peak at that time,” he said.

“Students who are taking the final exams will sit for the admission test. So we will need to hold the exam after the election,” he added.

On November 8, Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda announced that the 11th Jatiya Sangsad polls would be held on December 23.

Like previous years, many teachers will perform duties at polling centres and will remain busy with training to become presiding officers, assistant presiding officers and polling officers ahead of the election, said DSHE officials.

The government has also brought forward dates of primary and secondary school final exams at all schools in the country so that students do not face any problems during the 11th national election.

Final exams of grades I to IV would now begin from November 29, the Department of Primary Education directive said,.