Most public universities agree to hold integrated admission tests: Dipu Moni

Most of the public universities have agreed to hold integrated or cluster-based admission tests, Dipu Moni has said.

The education minister also urged the other institutions to follow suit in order to avoid sufferings and risk of infections amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The Ministry of Education issued a statement on Sunday quoting Dipu Moni after a virtual meeting with the vice-chancellors of the Dhaka University, Jahangirnagar University, Rajshahi University, and Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology.

The education ministry and the University Grants Commission have been trying to launch a cluster-based or uniform system of admission tests to alleviate sufferings of the students and their parents as well as to cut travel and other costs.

The education ministry now says that the coronavirus outbreak has made the importance of such a system of tests more clear.

“Most of the universities have already given their consent on this matter,” Dipu Moni said in the statement.

President Md Abdul Hamid, who is also the chancellor of all the universities, had earlier spoke in favour of the uniform admission test system, Dipu Moni noted.

The education minister urged the vice-chancellors of the four public universities to come up with a positive decision on the issue.

The government has decided to evaluate results of HSC candidates on the basis of their results of JSC and SSC examinations this time.

Some universities, including the Dhaka University, have decided to hold separate admission tests for the enrolment of these students.  

At present, 46 public universities with a total capacity to enrol around 60,000 undergrads are operating in the country.