A proposal has been made to reserve 13 percent of seats for quota holders in admissions to government secondary schools. The Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE) has prepared a draft admission policy, and once it is finalised, students will be admitted to government and private schools on that basis in 2027.
Several meetings have already been held at the DSHE to finalise the policy. After the draft is reviewed, the proposal will be sent to the education ministry, which will issue the final policy after a meeting.
Under the draft, 5 percent of seats would be reserved for the children of freedom fighters. If the quota is not filled, the remaining seats would go to students from the merit list. A further 0.5 percent is proposed for the children of education ministry officials and staff, and another 0.5 percent for the children of officials and staff of offices and agencies under the ministry. Students would get this benefit as long as they meet the minimum qualifications.
Two percent of seats are proposed for twins and 3 percent for siblings. The benefit would apply if an applicant’s twin or sibling already studies at the institution, and also to twins or siblings applying together.
In addition, 2 percent of seats are proposed for students with special needs.
A place in class six for government primary pupils
For admission to class six only at government secondary schools, 10 percent of total seats are proposed for pupils from stand-alone government primary schools. At private secondary schools, a further 1 percent beyond the 13 percent quota is proposed for children from lillah boarding houses, so that they can be brought into mainstream education at nearby secondary schools.
Forty percent for catchment areas in Dhaka
For admission to government and private schools in Dhaka city, 40 percent of seats are proposed for students from the area around the school, or its catchment area. Where several institutions share a catchment area, students may apply to any of them.
Lottery for classes one to five, exam for six to nine
Under the proposed policy, students in classes one to five would be admitted by lottery, while admission to classes six to nine would require a written test. The test would carry 30 marks for Bangla, 30 for English and 40 for mathematics, 100 marks in all.
Professor Md Sakhawat Hossain Khan, director of the DSHE’s secondary wing, said the admission policy for government and private schools is still at the draft stage, and details will be available once it is finalised.
An official of the secondary wing, speaking on condition of anonymity, said some quotas are kept in school admissions every year. No students have been found for the freedom fighters’ children quota in recent years, but the quota has been kept in the draft policy because of various obligations.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report