Bangladesh suspends primary education completion exams in pandemic

The government has suspended the primary education completion and equivalent examinations this year due to the coronavirus epidemic.

“The prime minister has approved the suspension of primary education completion and equivalent Ebtediya completion examinations considering the overall coronavirus situation in the country,” said Zakir Hossain, state minister for primary and mass education.

“There will be annual examinations in the schools instead,” he said.

The primary and mass education ministry sent a letter to the prime minister on Aug 19 with a recommendation that the PEC exams be held individually in schools rather than centrally.

No primary students will get scholarships this year as PEC and equivalent exams will not be held centrally due to the coronavirus epidemic, Hossain said.

A total of 82,500 students were nominated in 2019 for the government stipend over their results in PEC exams. Nearly three million students were expected to attend this year’s PEC exams.

The National Academy for Primary Education, or NAPE, was told to prepare three alternative lessons for schools in September, October and November.

“As the COVID-19 situation in Bangladesh is not conducive for reopening schools in September, annual exams will be based on the lessons prepared for October and November,” Hossain added.

“The authorities will decide on the reopening of schools by Aug 27.”

Bangladesh announced the shutdown of all schools and other educational institutions on Mar 17 following the virus outbreak. It later extended the shutdown to Aug 31.

The education officials said the authorities are planning to organise HSC exams within weeks of reopening schools, but they have yet to finalise plans for JSC and JDC exams, which were postponed due to the pandemic.