No change in creative questions format, Minister Nahid says

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid has stuck to his guns on increasing the number of creative questions in SSC and HSC tests despite protests by students.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 9 Oct 2016, 08:59 AM
Updated : 9 Oct 2016, 09:00 AM

“This will not change. There is no reason or logic for it. The students are not getting less time,” he told the media after a meeting with academics on Sunday.

On Sept 18, the Inter-Education Board Coordination Sub-Committee said in a circular that students, taking the SCC and HSC exams next year, have to answer seven creative questions instead of six.

It also rearranged the division of time for the tests.

Students of schools and colleges across the country have started movements demanding an end to the new format.

Protesters said pressure would mount as they would have to answer seven creative questions within 2 hours 20 minutes -- only 10 minutes more than when they had to answer six.

They also criticised the decision to cut the number of multiple choice questions (MCQ) to 40 from 30.

Nahid convened a meeting on Sunday with academics to discuss the issue.

Speaking to reporters later, he said that the students had got enough time to prepare as the new time slot was announced in 2015.

Students will get enough time to answer the seven questions as no break will be given between essay type and MCQ sections from next year, he added.

The minister told bdnews24.com that previously the students would get 21 minutes and 40 seconds to answer each creative question, and now they will get 21 minutes and 26 seconds.

But they will get to choose seven questions out of 11 questions whereas previously they had to pick six questions out of nine, he added.