Govt cancels PECE exam of this year

The government cancelled this year's Primary Education Completion Examinations and its equivalent exams due to the pandemic.

Primary and Mass Education State Minister Zakir Hossen confirmed the news to The Daily Star yesterday evening.

Annual exams for class-V students will now be held at schools, said a top official of the ministry.

Earlier this month, the ministry wrote to the Prime Minister's Office seeking cancellation of the exams and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina approved the proposal, the official told The Daily Star.

PECE and the equivalent exams, usually held in November, are the largest public examinations. Three million students were supposed to take part in the exams.

The exams were cancelled last year as well because of coronavirus restrictions.

The government may cancel this year's Junior School Certificate (JSC) and Junior Dakhil Certificate (JDC) exams. These exams, meant for class-VIII students, were also cancelled last year.

Education Minister Dipu Moni on September 28 said these exams were cancelled because of time constraints.

"Class-VIII students will need to take annual exams at schools," she told reporters after attending a programme at the Gono Bhaban marking the birthday of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

SSC and its equivalent exams would begin on November 14 and end on November 23. HSC exams would start on December 2 and end on December 30.