PM defends holding of PEC, JSC exams

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today defended the holding of Primary Education Completion (PEC) and Junior School Certificate (JSC) examinations, saying that such examinations boost the self-confidence of the children sitting for higher public exams.

"I don't know exactly whether our guardians cannot see the outcome of the PEC, JSC and equivalent examinations ... due to such types of exams, a self confidence is being boosted up among the students to pursue education, while a consciousness has been created among the people which I think are very essential," she said.

The prime minister said this when formally receiving the results of this year's Primary Education Completion (PEC), Junior School Certificate (JSC) and their equivalent examinations.

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid handed over the JSC and Junior Dakhil Certificate (JDC) exam results, while Primary and Mass Education Minister Md Mustafizur Rahman handed over the PEC and Ebtedayee exam results to the prime minister at a simple ceremony held at the PM's official Ganabhaban residence in Dhaka this morning.

The premier said a controversy took place few days back whether the examinations like PEC and JDC would be held or not.

"At one stage many people did not want holding of such exams. But I think the people should be informed again about holding of such examinations because they expressed reluctance about such exams ... it is not understandable to me why they did it," she said.

In this connection, the prime minister said earlier scholarship examinations were held in the country in class five and eight where a few number of selected students used to get chance for appearing these exams.

"The teachers had given attention to these students so that they obtain scholarships. But the teachers had no time to focus on other students and that's why they (students) did not give proper attention to their study," she said.

As a result, she said, those who were left out of the teachers' attention were deprived of better education. But there might be meritorious among them. But my question is that why they would be deprived, she said.

"From this point of view we want that everybody get scope for appearing such exams and scholarship would be provided to them according to the policy by seeing their results," she said.