Lottery for Class 1, admission tests for other school grades from 2027

Bangladesh will retain the lottery system for Class 1 admissions but bring back admission tests for all other grades in primary and secondary schools from the 2027 academic year.

The education ministry announced the decision in a media statement on Thursday.

The lottery system had been in place for several years before the education minister announced its abolition last March.

The Inter-Education Board Coordination Committee, however, has proposed that admissions to Grade 11 for the current academic year should still be based on the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and equivalent exam results. 

Prof Syed Akhtaruzzaman, president of the coordination committee and chairman of the Dhaka education board, said that centralised online applications will be accepted again this year, pending approval from the education ministry.

An official from the ministry had earlier said that deliberations to bring back the lottery stemmed from concerns that reintroduced admission tests could place excessive pressure on young children.