No PEC exams this year

The Ministry of Primary and Mass Education has said the Primary Education Completion (PEC) examination would not be held this year.

The ministry had submitted a proposal to the prime minister on August 19 in this regard.

Primary and Mass Education Senior Secretary Akram Al Hossain, while talking to media, said: “We sent a summary of the PEC proposal; Consent has been obtained. We will take necessary steps in this regard soon.”

Earlier of the day, State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Zakir Hossain, while speaking to reporters at Bangladesh Secretariat on Tuesday, said: "Considering the overall situation, the prime minister has agreed not to take the primary education final and ebtedayi final exams this time. However, the schools will hold their regular annual examinations."

A summary of the cancellation of primary education and ebtedayi examinations was sent to the Prime Minister's Office. The proposal asked to evaluate students in schools and madrasas instead of conducting these two examinations.

Besides, it was proposed not to give merit for this year if the examination was cancelled. 

The Prime Minister's Office agreed to the proposal and sent it to the ministry on Tuesday, said a ministry official.

In the proposal sent to the prime minister, the ministry said a total of 71 working days were being freezed from March 18 to August 31 due to holidays in educational institutions. As a result, 406 subject-based lessons of the students are incomplete. 

From January 1 to March 17, only 30-35% of the syllabus has been completed. It takes at least 50 working days to finish the rest of the syllabus, according to the proposal. 

Although it is possible to conduct academic activities in November to December, 50 working days will not be available, the letter mentioned.

It added that a decision had not yet been made whether it would be possible to reopen educational institutions in September due to the current pandemic situations. Parents may not send their children to school if it is opened, the Primary and Mass Education Ministry mentioned in the letter.

On Monday, the Qawmi madrasas were granted the permission to hold degree and master’s equivalent exams.

Educational institutions have been shut since mid-March across the country over the coronavirus pandemic.