Uncertainty over grading of 2.8 lakh

Around 2.8 lakh Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) students, under Bangladesh Technical Education Board, are uncertain as to how they would be graded in the newly adapted HSC grading system.

The students take courses like HSC Vocational, HSC Business Management, and Diploma in Commerce that require them to sit for the final exams after finishing grade XI.

The scores of their final exams get added to their HSC results, said at least two officials of the technical education board.

"We are facing some difficulties. It is still uncertain how we will evaluate these candidates without their final exams' scores," said a top official of the board.

It is decided that their results would be announced based on their JSC and SSC results. However, we are yet to know about what to do with the final exam scores of these students, the official added.

The government on Wednesday decided to cancel this year's HSC and its equivalent exams due to health-safety concerns amid the coronavirus crisis.

Instead, candidates would be evaluated based on their results of Junior School Certificate (JSC), Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and their equivalent tests.

The evaluation of the candidates would be published by December this year.

Candidates of technical courses said whatever the government decision is should be announced soon to reduce their concerns.

Contacted Bangladesh Technical Education Board Chairman Morad Hossain Mollah said that they were well aware of the issue.

"We are working on the alternatives of giving grades of these students. We will take decisions keeping the students' benefits in mind", he told The Daily Star.

He also said that around 2.8 lakh students were expected to take part in the exams under the technical education board.

With Wednesday's decision more than 13.65 lakh students, who were expected to sit for the HSC or equivalent exams, will pass automatically.

An advisory committee was also formed to chalk out how students who had changed education groups after SSC would be evaluated.

The committee would also decide how JSC and SSC grades would be used for evaluating the candidates.

This is the first time the HSC exams have been cancelled since the introduction in 1964.

The closure of schools for over six months has led to the cancellation of exams and left academic calendars in disarray.

Educational activities of about four crore students are being hampered due to the pandemic.

This year's Primary Education Completion and its equivalent exams and Junior School Certificate and its equivalent exams were also cancelled due to the pandemic.