Taking the overall situation into account, the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examination will be held right after the holy month of Ramadan, said Education Minister Dr A N M Ehsanul Haque Milon. He said the decision to hold the exam after Ramadan, made in the interest of students’ academic standards and preparation, will remain in place.
The education minister disclosed this at a press conference Monday, August 31, at the secretariat, following his return from a visit to China.
On the planning for exam timing and coordination, Education Minister Ehsanul Haque Milon said: “Our main goal is to align examinations with the country’s weather and the global education calendar. In particular, it’s important to move the SSC and HSC exams earlier to avoid the difficulties of the monsoon season. In line with this, university admission tests and the schedules of those wanting to go abroad for higher education also need to be brought into a defined, orderly framework.” The minister said that from this perspective, the most suitable month for holding the HSC exam is February. But because of Ramadan, holding the exam during that period isn’t possible.
Asked why the exam couldn’t be held before Ramadan, Dr A N M Ehsanul Haque Milon said that at stakeholders’ request, a plan had initially been made to move the exam earlier. Based on the academic-year calendar, starting the exam in January would have allowed it to finish within a month, since Ramadan next year is expected to begin February 10 and end March 10. Starting the exam in January would have meant finishing it by February 7.
However, if the exam is moved too far ahead, students may finish the syllabus but won’t have adequate opportunity for course review or revision. The minister said this would particularly disrupt students’ review process.
Explaining the decision, made with students’ interests in mind, he said: “We won’t hurt the students. They need to be given the opportunity to review and prepare for their courses. So it has been decided again that the exam will be held after Ramadan. Although some quarters wanted the exam before Ramadan, the decision to hold it after Ramadan will remain in place, in the interest of students’ academic standards and preparation.”
Noting that there is no cause for students to feel additional pressure or anxiety over the SSC and HSC exams, the minister said the exams will be held on schedule unless some natural disaster or other unforeseen situation occurs.
Saying that students have been given adequate time to prepare, he said they were informed of the likely exam timing nearly a year and a half in advance, and are preparing accordingly. He said there is therefore no reason for extra pressure over the exam at this point.