To show its eagerness to improve the state of affairs of country's education sector, the new government has moved quickly to revise a few key aspects. Scrapping the lottery system followed so far for admission in primary and secondary schools is one such move. On March 16, the government issued an order abolishing the lottery system for student admissions to grades one to nine in government and private secondary schools nationwide, effective from the 2027 academic year. Education Minister ANM Ehsanul Haque Milon said the decision was made to ensure quality of education and address the long-standing demands coming from students and guardians.
The move, however, has sparked debate and criticism from various stakeholders, not without some valid reasons. Some questioned whether the latest move is backed by a review of the lottery system. Others argued there is no need to rush such a critical issue. Instead, the government should take time to identify flaws in the lottery system and determine whether they can be fixed. The lottery was largely welcomed by parents, students, teachers, and others. It reduced the undue stress on children and anxiety over tests, and also relived guardians from the rush to admission coaching. For the children seeking admission at the entry level, grade one to be precise, the system proved to be a boon.
Those who criticised the lottery system argued that it had deprived merit-based competition. A similar argument has resurfaced in favour of scrapping the lottery system, though it is not entirely valid. The system was designed not to discourage or deprive merit but to facilitate admission of the children in a stress-less manner. It is feared that return of the admission test will open another window for coaching business. Even before going to school, guardians may be provoked to take their children to the coaching centres to get the prepared for admission tests.
A key question is what drives the education minister to rush the decision to scrap the lottery system when the admission season is eight months away. Instead, he could form a committee to review the system and, through stakeholder consultation, seek recommendations for an inclusive decision. The BNP's Election Manifesto 2026 clearly stated the formation of the 'Education Reform Commission' but it said nothing about abolishing the lottery system. This does not mean the lottery system must continue forever; there is room for revision or abolishing it. What is necessary is a pragmatic, judicious approach supported by research-based findings.
The government is also considering completing the secondary and higher secondary public tests by December each year. Generally, SSC examinations take place in February after students complete their 10th-grade final tests in November-December. HSC examinations take place in April. However, since the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted these schedules, the timings of both tests have changed. This year, SSC and HSC tests will start in April and June, respectively. The education minister said work is underway to devise reform measures to ensure both tests are completed by December each year.
This is good thinking. However, before a final decision, some issues need careful consideration. The SSC syllabus load is quite big, and students rush to coaching and private tuitions after school. Long school vacations and inadequate classroom instruction force students to fill large learning gaps through extra work at home. So, this is not merely a time adjustment issue but a matter of a deeply flawed education system.
Before sitting for HSC tests, students usually have 18 months in college. If SSC tests are held in December, it will take about two months to get results. After receiving results in February, it may take another month to complete college admissions and start HSC classes. If the HSC exam also takes place in December, it will be challenging for students. Against this backdrop, a well-planned decision is expected to make public examinations smooth and trouble-free.
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