The Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and equivalent exams for 2024 will be held in February while Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent exams will be held in April, Bangladesh's Education Minister Dipu Moni said today (August 17, 2023). “For the past several years, the authorities concerned had to rearrange the academic calendar due to the Covid-19 pandemic and natural disaster, but it will be fully set from next year,” she hoped. The minister came up with the information while talking to reporters after visiting an SSC exam hall at Tejgaon College in Dhaka. “We will try our level best to hold HSC exams in April and SSC exams in February, from next year,” she added. HSC exams to be held on schedule: Dipu Moni Dipu Moni claimed that there has been no question paper leak in public exams in the last five years. “We have been on alert to prevent question paper leak since 2015 and I hope there will be no untoward incident during this year’s HSC exams.” If anyone tried to spread rumours, law enforcing agencies will take stern action against them, she said. HSC and equivalent exams for 2023 began across the country today. Students sat for the Bangla first paper exam on the first day, at 10 am. HSC exams to start on August 17 as per schedule: Dipu Moni A total of 13,59, 342 students — 6,88, 887 boys and 6,70,455 girls — are expected to sit for this year’s HSC exams, 1,55,935 more than the previous year. According to the routine, HSC written exams will continue till September 25 while practical exams will be held from September 26 to October 4. The HSC exams is being held at 2,658 exam centres and 9,169 educational institutions. Among the total students, 11,08,594 students will appear for HSC under the nine general education boards, 98,031 under the Madrasa board, and 1,52,717 under the Technical Education board. Not possible to nationalise private educational institutions before national polls: Dipu Moni

There is no scope to hold the  public examinations in the next year as per schedule,  said Education Minister Dipu Moni on Tuesday. “It is not possible to hold the public examinations of 2022 in time but the delay will not be like that of this year’s SSC examinations,” she said. “Measures will be taken to make up the losses caused by delay in holding the SSC examinations and the students will not face any problem,” she added. Also read: Students to get new textbooks in time next year: Dipu Moni The Education Minister came up with the information while replying to a question from local journalists when visiting Chandpur Hasan Ali Government High School exam center on Tuesday. The much-awaited Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and its equivalent examinations began in the country on Sunday, maintaining health protocols. Usually, the SSC examinations are held in February but this year the exams were delayed due to the pandemic. Regarding vaccination of students she said, “The Health Ministry is trying to vaccinate all the HSC examinees. Though we don’t have sufficient infrastructures in every district to continue the inoculation drive with Pfizer vaccine but the authorities concerned are trying their level best.” A campaign to vaccinate school students, aged 12-17, against Covid-19  kicked off at 12 centers in Dhaka on November 1. Also read: Still unsure about dropped out students’ number: Dipu Moni Some 40,000 students will be vaccinated every day under the campaign. However, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina asked the officials concerned to increase the number of centres across the country under this campaign.