The government will hold the Primary Scholarship Examination this year, Education Minister A. N. M. Ehsanul Haque Milon said on Wednesday. The exam did not take place last year due to legal complications.
He announced this information today (February 25) at the Secondary and Higher Education Division of the Ministry of Education. He was speaking at the publication ceremony of the Junior Scholarship Examination results.
The Primary Scholarship Examination was announced after a 16-year gap by the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education. However, a writ petition challenged the decision because students from kindergartens or private primary schools were not included.
Following court directives, the exam was postponed. Many students had already prepared for it. Teachers and guardians later expressed frustration over the delay.
The minister said the government would soon take steps to organise the exam this year. “The students have prepared; they cannot be deprived,” he told journalists.
He confirmed that kindergarten students will now be allowed to participate. Of the total candidates, 80 percent will come from government primary schools. The remaining 20 percent will come from kindergartens.
The government is also considering increasing the number of junior scholarships from next year. The minister said the matter would be reviewed carefully. He added that the government has recently taken responsibility and will move forward with cooperation from all sides.
The decision is important for thousands of primary students across Bangladesh who have been waiting for clarity about the exam. Further details about the schedule are expected to be announced by the authorities in due course.