Bangladesh
has perhaps one of the most diverse and outdated education systems, which can
be divided based on the medium of instruction, including Bengali, English, and
Madrasah. The Bengali and English-medium education systems are collectively
referred to as the general education system, whereas the religion-based
education system is known as the Madrasah system. Students also have the
opportunity to choose a non-formal education system, known as Technical and
Vocational Education and Training (TVET). However, each of these three main
education systems can be further divided into different levels, which are as
follows:
I. Primary
Level (Class 1-5)
II. Secondary
Level (Class 6-10, SSC)
III. Higher
Secondary Level (Class 11-12, HSC)
IV. Tertiary Level- (Undergraduate, Post-graduate, Masters of Philosophy, Doctoral Degree)
Our education journey begins at the pre-primary level, which includes Kindergarten and Nursery. During these two years, we are introduced to the alphabet, rhymes, and numbers. Then our primary-level education begins, which ends with the Primary School Certificate (PSC) examination after completing five years of primary school. Students in class eight appear in the Junior School Certificate (JSC) examination after successfully completing eight years of academic study.
After that, they enroll in the secondary level, which consists of grades 9, 10, 11, and 12. During these four years, students are required to take two significant public examinations: the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC), each held after two years. When students move to class nine, they choose either Science, Business Studies, or Humanities as their group.
The first major board examination for a Bangladeshi student is the Secondary School Certificate (SSC). Students sit for this examination after completing ten years of academic study. However, secondary-level education ends with the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examination after completing grade 12, or the second year of college. Passing the HSC examination is mandatory to enroll in an undergraduate program.
There are two types of undergraduate programs: the pass course (degree) and the Honors program. The duration of the pass course is three years, whereas Honors students study for one additional year. Afterwards, students may pursue a postgraduate or Master’s degree, which lasts two years for those who completed the pass course and one year for those who completed the Honors program.
We can also observe that, apart from the national education system, other educational systems exist, including the English-medium and Madrasah education systems. In our country, English-medium education is offered by several private institutions. These institutions provide O Level and A Level courses, which are equivalent to the SSC and HSC, respectively. Students have the opportunity to take these examinations under Edexcel or Cambridge. However, the O Level and A Level examinations are conducted through the British Council in Dhaka. The Madrasah education system focuses on Arabic-medium, Islam-centered education, which is administered by the Bangladesh Madrasah Education Board, also known as the Alia Madrasah Education Board.
Since 2009 and 2010, respectively, the PSC and JSC examinations have been conducted by the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education (MoPME), which is responsible for primary (Classes I–VIII) and mass education in Bangladesh. Except for three subjects—Bangla Second Paper, English First Paper, and English Second Paper—the question papers for all other subjects in the PSC, JSC, or equivalent examinations are designed according to a new format known as “Srijonshil” or creative. The purpose of this new format was to encourage students to think critically.
It is needless to say that this new examination system faced significant criticism. As a result, a group of people demanded the discontinuation of the examinations. However, their request was not accepted, as it was considered an unrealistic suggestion. During the inaugural ceremony of National Primary Education Week 2017, Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina spoke in favor of the new education system. To justify the continuation of public examinations in the fifth and eighth grades, she said, “The main objective of introducing the new system in 2009 was to ensure equal opportunities for every student to learn, build their confidence, remove the fear of public examinations, and award scholarships to students based on their results.”
According to some concerned parents and educationists, the PSC and JSC examinations have placed extra pressure on teenagers. Compared to the previous education system, which required students to study for ten long years to obtain their first academic certificate, the new education system allows students to achieve it after successfully completing five years of schooling. Some students and their parents consider this a matter of great pride. Furthermore, the previous education system allowed only a limited number of students to participate in scholarship examinations held in the fifth and eighth grades, overlooking the abilities of other students. In contrast, the new examination system awards scholarships based on students’ performance.
