Hartal entangles public exams

After wreaking havoc on the SSC exam schedule, the ongoing political unrest is now causing worries among around 12 lakh Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinees and their guardians.

They feel apprehensive about a similar fate as those of the SSC candidates.

Not a single written test of the Secondary School Certificate exams could be held on scheduled dates. The tests, which were supposed to end on March 10, are still going on.

All the tests have so far been held on weekends, as the BNP-led alliance enforced hartals on every workday since February 1, in addition to its indefinite blockade since January 6.

"We have witnessed how the SSC candidates have suffered due to the political crisis and we are pretty sure the HSC examinations would not be spared either. And if so, how will our children study [for the exams]," said Minhazul Abedin, a father of an HSC examinee from Dhanmondi.

The HSC and equivalent examinations under 10 education boards are set to begin across the country on April 1. The education ministry still sticks to its plan to hold the exams as per schedule.

The written tests, which will be held on 30 days, are scheduled to end on June 11.

Board officials said they have completed all preparations for the HSC exam, but it will be difficult for them to reschedule the exams if the 20-party alliance keeps enforcing hartals as the number of tests in this exam is higher than the SSC.

If they are forced to hold the tests on weekends, it would require 30 weekends. This means, the tests would continue till mid July, they said.

"Then there would be Ramadan and Eid in July. So we would face trouble managing the schedule," said an official of the Dhaka Education Board. He did not wish to be named as he was not authorised to talk to the media on the issue in advance.

"We hope that there would be no political crisis during the examination period," said Dr Srikanta Kumar Chanda, exam controller of the board.

Education ministry officials said if the tests are deferred, it will have a domino effect. The admission in the higher education institutes depends on the publication of HSC results.

"There would be a delay in publishing the results if we have to reschedule the exams. And if there's a delay in publishing the results, the university admission processes would be delayed too," said a high official of the ministry, preferring anonymity.

"We would not be able to maintain our academic calendar," he said.

But it's the HSC candidates who are the most worried.

"I am puzzled and uncertain about my exams. Though I am taking preparations keeping the existing schedule in mind, I am not sure whether the tests on the subjects I am preparing to take will be held on time," said Anayna Rashid, an examinee in the capital.

"If the examination schedules change frequently, it will demoralise us," she said.

Her mother, Rumana Rashid, thinks the children are losing interests in studying due to their growing disappointment over the political impasse and all those uncertainties caused by the situation.

"If my daughter cannot perform well in the exams and do not obtain desired results, she would not be able to apply for medical or engineering admissions. Who will take the responsibility?

"They [the politicians] do not know what damage they are doing," she added.

Equally concerned are the teachers as it would not be possible for them to start taking classes for the freshmen from July 1 if the HSC examinations are deferred.

"We all are anxious. If we face similar problems like those during the SSC exams, everything will be deferred," said Shahan Ara Begum, principal of Ideal School and College, Motijheel.