Uncertainty looms large over school admission for hundreds of thousands of students across the country as there is no specific instruction about the admission process amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Important public examinations including Primary Education Completion (PEC), Junior School Certificate (JSC) and Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) have already been postponed due to the epidemic. Even the annual examinations of the schools will not be held this year.
In this situation, the new academic year is going to start. New concerns have been growing among guardians about school enrollment of their children.
After talking to guardians and teachers at different schools in the capital it has been known that many people were either taking information from teachers and school authorities over phone or visiting schools regularly to know about the admission process in the new academic year.
Private schools have started publishing admission notices since the beginning of this month (November). Many renowned schools have asked the admission seekers to fill up admission forms through online.
Moreover, many guardians have been taking preparations with proper documents and photo for the admission of their children as scanned copy of birth registration certificate and photo are required in most of the renowned schools of the city as well as the other parts of the country.
Meanwhile, Directorate Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE) have made two separate proposals for admission in government secondary schools.
In the first proposal, they proposed to select students through lottery instead of taking admission tests for vacant seats in different classes in a school.
In the second proposal, they said that the admission tests can be conducted maintaining proper hygiene rules including maintaining physical distance. In this case, the venues of the admission tests need to be increased.
According to Education Ministry sources, these two proposals were sent to the Ministry of Education last week. The admission process in the government secondary school of 2021 academic year will be finalised on the basis of ministry’s approval.
DSHE Director (Secondary) Professor Belal Hossain told Bangladesh Post, “We have sent several proposals to the ministry regarding the admission tests. Now the ministry will take the final decision. They can consider any of our proposals or talk about a new method.”
“Admission policy of private schools will also be made according to the similar policy of government secondary schools,” he added.
In previous years, schools used to admit students through lottery only for class (I). Admissions in class (VI) and (IX) were made on the basis of PEC and JSC examination results respectively.
On the other hand, written examinations were taken for the classes - (II), (III), (IV), (V), (VII) and (VIII).
This year, most of the guardians are against the admissions in all different classes through lottery.
Ripa Islam, a guardian told Bangladesh Post, “Lottery method can’t be a suitable for admission in all classes. The meritorious students will be deprived in this process. At least a viva test needs be conducted.”
Meanwhile, some educational institutions have already started publishing admission notice. The schools have already started admission process. As there is no decision made about the school admission, a large number of students and their guardians are in a fix. Many guardians have expressed their deep concern over the future of their children as the education life of the students has been hampered badly due to coronavirus.
