All coaching centres across the country will remain shut from November 25 to January 3 ahead of the Higher Secondary Certificate (SSC) and equivalent examinations, said Education Minister Dipu Moni on Thursday.

The decision was taken at a meeting with law enforcement agencies at the Ministry of Education on Wednesday regarding the HSC exam security.

HSC and equivalent examinations for the academic session 2020-21 will begin on December 2, Dipu Moni said at the press briefing.

Also read: SSC exams: Coaching centres to remain shut from Nov 8 to 25

This year the SSC and the HSC examinations could not be held as per the schedules due to the Covid-19 pandemic and then the government decided to hold the examinations with shortened syllabuses.

According to the schedule, the HSC and its equivalent examinations will end on December 30.

Some 13,99,690 students are expected to take the HSC and equivalent examinations this year while last year this number was 13,65,789. The number of candidates has increased by 33,901 with a growth rate of 2.48 per cent.

About 11,38,017 candidates will sit for the HSC exam under nine general education boards, 1,13,114 for Alim exams under Madrasa Education Board and 1,48,503 for vocational exams under Bangladesh Technical Education Board this year, the minister said.

Besides, 406 students will take part in the examinations from abroad. Some 2,621 centers are ready to hold the HSC examinations across the country.

Also read: SSC exams to begin on Nov 14, HSC on Dec 2

Due to huge traffic jams in Dhaka, the minister said, the starting time of SSC and HSC exams may be delayed by 1-2 hours from next year but it is not final yet.

She also mentioned that there will be no textbook festival on January 1 but books will be sent to the schools in time.

Educational institutions across the country had remained closed since March last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the closure was extended several times.

Finally, the government reopened schools and colleges on September 13 following an improvement in the Covid-19 situation.

Last year’s HSC examinees were evaluated on the basis of their results of JSC and SSC exams, a decision which received a mixed reaction.