Students who could have failed the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and its equivalent examinations this year are set to get their certificates as no student will be left behind under the government's new grading system.
Education board officials said over the last five years, 25 to 30 percent examinees sitting for HSC and equivalent exams had failed. But with the government's decision to grade this year's candidates based on their Secondary School Certificate, Junior School Certificate results, 100 percent examinees will pass.
"These 25 to 30 percent students, who could have failed in the exams are getting undue privilege," said Professor Siddiqur Rahman, former Director of the Institute of Education and Research at Dhaka University.
"This is never acceptable. They will get certificates without achieving qualification to pass the level. They will get some privilege even when enrolling for higher education," said Siddiqur, also a member of the National Education Policy 2010 Formulation Committee.
He pointed out that many students who achieved a lower GPA in SSC exams and would have prepared better for the HSC exams will be deprived under new system.
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Siddiqur said if the government wanted to eliminate undue privilege, there was no alternative to taking exams.
"I will urge all to review their decisions as soon as possible," he said.
The government on Wednesday decided to cancel this year's HSC and its equivalent examinations due to health-safety concerns amid the coronavirus crisis.
Instead, candidates would be evaluated based on their results in JSC, SSC and their equivalent tests