This year’s Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and equivalent examinations will begin across Bangladesh on Tuesday, with a total of 1,857,344 students set to sit for the tests.
All necessary preparations have been completed to ensure the examinations are held in a transparent, fair and orderly manner nationwide.
Prime Minister’s Adviser Mahdi Amin shared the information at a press conference held at the Secretariat on Monday. Education Minister Dr ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon was also present.
Of the total examinees, 930,305 are males and 927,039 females – from 30,666 institutions. The number of centres is 3,885 this year.
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Under the nine general education boards, a total of 1,418,318 candidates will take part in the SSC examination, including 667,305 male and 751,093 female students.
Under the Madrasah Education Board, 303,286 students will appear in the Dakhil examination, including 161,491 male and 142,795 female candidates, across 742 centres.
Meanwhile, under the Technical Education Board, 134,660 students will take part in SSC (Vocational) examinations, including 101,509 male and 33,151 female candidates, at 653 centres.
Speaking at the press conference, Mahdi Amin urged students and guardians not to be anxious, saying the government aims to remove “exam fear” from the minds of students and ensure a smooth and student-friendly environment.
He said authorities have been instructed to maintain a calm atmosphere in exam halls so that candidates can sit for the exams without disruption.
Noting that this SSC batch missed earlier public examinations, including Primary Education Completion (PEC) due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the adviser said this will be their first full-syllabus public examination, and special attention has been given to ensure a supportive environment.
He also said educational institutions have been directed to ensure safe drinking water, adequate lighting and ventilation, hygienic sanitation facilities and backup electricity at exam centres.
Law enforcement agencies will remain vigilant to ensure security and smooth movement, particularly for female candidates, while efforts will be made to keep areas around centres free from traffic congestion, Mahdi Amin said.
He said invigilators and officials concerned have been instructed to avoid creating unnecessary pressure and to assist candidates where needed, including clarifying any confusion in question papers, as those were formulated during the previous government period.
The adviser added that answer scripts should be evaluated fairly so that no candidate is deprived of their rightful marks.
He expressed hope that students will attend exams confidently and complete them in a peaceful environment.