Education boards have no plan to defer HSC exams

Bangladesh's education boards are preparing to hold the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent exams from Jun 26 as scheduled despite concerns over a possible surge in COVID-19 infections.

Professor Khondokar Ehsanul Kabir, chairman of the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Dhaka, said they have no plans to postpone the HSC or equivalent examinations.

Speaking to bdnews24.com on Saturday, the president of the Inter-Education Board Coordination Committee, said: “As the coronavirus infections are on the rise, exam centre authorities will take precautionary measures. They will ensure students wear masks, wash their hands, and follow other safety guidelines.

“We have already completed all preparations for conducting the exams.”

Highlighting that the exams will take place on time, he said the authorities are closely monitoring any instructions issued by the government and the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

He added, “We have not received any directive from the government to adjourn the exams. If such a directive comes, we will act accordingly.”

In light of the spike in infections from a new COVID-19 subvariant across several countries including India, the DGHS’s disease control division has issued precautionary guidance.

The advisory, issued on Jun 4, recommends the following preventive measures: washing hands with soap, using masks to cover nose and mouth, maintaining a distance of at least three feet from people with the infection, avoiding touching the face with unclean hands, and covering

the nose and mouth with an elbow, tissue, or cloth when sneezing or coughing.

The DGHS reported two COVID-19 deaths on Friday, bringing the total fatalities this year to three. The previous death was reported on Jun 5.

In June alone, 97 people tested positive for COVID-19 in Bangladesh.

In this context, students are calling for the HSC and equivalent exams to be deferred by a month.

Fahad Rahman, an HSC candidate from Dhaka College, told bdnews24.com: “COVID-19 infections are climbing. Instead of starting exams amid this, authorities could wait a month to monitor the trend.”

The coronavirus, which first emerged in China on Dec 31, 2019, spread to Bangladesh two months later. For the next three years, the country witnessed waves of concern and panic, with strict health protocols enforced, including mandatory mask-wearing.

During that period, lockdowns emptied cities and towns, with offices, courts and educational institutions operating online, leaving many people unemployed.

Strict restrictions were imposed at borders and airports, international flights were suspended and the global supply chain collapsed. The dollar appreciated, leading to a sharp rise in the prices of essential goods.

In 2020, the HSC exams had to be cancelled entirely due to the pandemic. Instead, the exams saw a 100 percent pass rate due to evaluation based on the students’ SSC and JSC scores.

In subsequent years, SSC and HSC exams were held with reduced syllabi and shorter durations, though the schedule remained disrupted.

The COVID-19 situation began to improve in Bangladesh in 2022. By the following year, infection rates had dropped to near zero, and the government lifted the mandatory mask rule. However, infections are once again rising.