TDS Desk:

Students will again receive admission to Grade XI at the higher secondary level this academic year based on their results in the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and equivalent examinations.

Like in previous years, applications will be accepted centrally through an online system, with admissions determined by SSC and equivalent exam scores and students’ order of preference.

After the BNP government assumed office, it announced plans to reinstate admission tests for school enrolment. Against that backdrop, there had been speculation among education stakeholders over whether the government would also reintroduce admission tests for Grade XI.

The results of the SSC and equivalent examinations will be published on Aug 10. They were initially scheduled to be released on Jul 20, but the announcement was postponed as the education boards were unable to complete their preparations. Students who pass the examinations will be eligible for admission to Grade XI in the current academic year.

Like last year, the draft admission policy for this year’s Grade XI intake retains the provision for admissions based on merit, or SSC examination scores. The draft has been sent by the Inter-Education Board Coordination Committee to the Secondary and Higher Education Division under the Ministry of Education as a proposal, the committee’s president and chairman of the Dhaka Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Prof Syed Akhtaruzzaman, told.

On Monday afternoon, he said: “There are no major changes to the Grade XI admission process this year. As before, we have prepared the draft policy keeping admissions based on examination results or scores.

“We hope the Secondary and Higher Education Division will issue the admission policy before the SSC results are published on Aug 10.”

The plan was to begin accepting online applications from Jul 30 after the SSC and equivalent results were announced on Jul 20. However, because the publication of the results has been delayed, the application schedule will also be pushed back slightly, Prof Akhtaruzzaman said.

“We have yet to finalise the schedule for starting applications, publishing admission results and related activities. We expect to complete that process within this week,” he added.

Colleges and madrasas offering higher secondary education across the country have more than 2.6 million seats available in Grade XI. By contrast, more than 1.8 million students sat the SSC and equivalent examinations this year. As in previous years, a large number of Grade XI seats are therefore expected to remain vacant.

While admissions to higher secondary colleges and madrasas will continue to be based on examination results, church-run institutions such as Notre Dame College and Holy Cross College will hold admission tests in accordance with a court directive issued several years ago. Source: bdnews24