Anxiety of SSC examinees heightened as a cloud of uncertainty hangs over their examinations for the nationwide nonstop blockade, punctuated with frequent general strikes.
The Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and its equivalent examinations are scheduled for February 2 -- barely 11 days from now.
Examinees and their guardians vented their severe anguish over the ongoing political instability -- stemming from a political standoff over election issue.
"We are in uncertainty as to whether the examinations will be held timely or not as the political situation remains hot-blooded," said Nawros Kamal Siam, an SSC examinee from Udayan School and College in the capital.
He also said because of uncertainty about the examination schedule, they couldn't even devote to regular studies, resulting in inadequate preparation for the public examinations.
The BNP-led alliance has been continuing nonstop blockade and frequent general strikes across the country since January 5th to create pressure on the incumbent Awami League-led 14-party coalition to arrange fresh national elections.
Like the candidates, their guardians also expressed their worries over the political mayhem that pushed the SSC examination schedule into the uncertainty.
"I can't let my daughter know when she inquires me whether she could take part in the examinations accordingly," said Mizanur Rahman, the guardian of an SSC candidate.
"We are the people simply in quandary. We can't speak to arrange the examinations in such situation or hold up for better condition," he said.
"If the examinations take place in such environment, God knows who could be victim of the dirty politics," he adds.  Â
He called upon all of the major political parties, including the AL and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), to come on a consensus to put an end to the ongoing miseries of the mass people before the exam begins.
Prominent academic Dr Syed Manzoorul Islam said it won't be a wise decision of the government to take the public examinations amid such violent protests.
"If I would be a guardian of an examinee, then I won't send him to the examination centre, taking life-risk," Dr Islam, also an English professor of Dhaka University, said.
He called upon the major political parties to reach an agreement before the important public examination.
The university teacher also called upon the government to take necessary initiative to bring normalcy in the country.
"The government should take the lead to resolve the ongoing crisis as it has the major responsibility to ensure normal environment for all," the professor said, adding that the BNP-led alliance also should help the government in this matter.  Â
According to the board officials, 1.4 million students are expected to sit for the country's one of the largest public examinations as they were registered with the education boards.
"We've taken necessary preparations, including sending required papers to the examination centres, to hold the examinations on schedule," said Srikanta Kumar Chanda, controller of the Dhaka Education Board.
Mr Chanda told the FE that they had met with the institutions concerned, including the Ministry of Education, to arrange on time one of the biggest examinations in terms of the number of participants.
Meanwhile, Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid and Information Minister Hasanul Haq Innu recently called upon the protesting alliance to stop their violent move during the public examinations.
khairulislamdu@gmail.com
Blockade blurs destiny of SSC examinees
Khairul Islam | Published: January 22, 2015 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2024 06:01:00
Share if you like