Forced into science: Chattogram Collegiate School leaves ninth-graders in limbo

All the ninth-grader students of Chattogram Collegiate School, one of the port city's oldest and most prestigious government institutions, have allegedly been forced to enrol in the science group this year, leaving many students, who wished to pursue commerce or humanities subjects, in a difficult position.

Several students and guardians claimed that due to a shortage of teachers for commerce and humanities subjects, the school authorities are reluctant to offer these academic streams. As a result, some students have already taken transfer certificates (TCs) and moved to other schools where they can study their preferred subjects.

However, the school administration argued that the majority of students preferred the science stream, making it impractical to organise separate classes for a small number of students interested in commerce or humanities.

One guardian, Nurul Alam, has already lodged complaints with the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Chattogram, and the deputy commissioner of Chattogram, who supervises government schools in the city.

Speaking to TBS, Alam said, "My son has been suffering from a mental disability since childhood and struggles academically. Though he has been placed in the science group, he will not be able to manage the demands. I informed the school authorities, but they simply assured me they would take his responsibility."

He added, "After receiving no proper solution, I filed a formal complaint with the education board but have not heard back yet."

Another guardian, seeking anonymity, said, "There are over 350 students in the morning and day shifts of the school. As they got admission through a lottery, not all of them have the competence to cope with studying science. But they have been left with no other choice."

He added, "Many of them might be interested in studying science. However, the authorities could have applied some rules, such as not allowing students who scored less than 50% in science in Class VIII to enrol in the science group, which is a common practice. But the authorities did not bother."

Rehena Akter, acting head teacher of Chattogram Collegiate School, told this newspaper, "Our school has a history of admitting top-performing students through competitive entrance exams. Traditionally, nearly all students opted for the science group. Over time, commerce and humanities groups disappeared."

She acknowledged that the situation changed after the government introduced a lottery system for admissions, bringing in students with varied academic abilities. "Keeping the current situation in mind, we invited students to submit their preferred group choices for Class IX this year. Only 11 out of 350 students expressed interest in commerce or humanities. With such a small number, it was not feasible to open separate groups," she explained.

Rehena confirmed that three students have taken TCs and left the school. "We have convinced the others to continue with the science group, as we do not have viable resources to offer commerce and humanities options," she said.

Mohammad Abul Basar, deputy school inspector at the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Chattogram, said, "According to the law, no school can compel students to study a particular group. There should be provisions for all academic streams unless it is a specialised institution."

Mohammad Sharif Uddin, additional deputy commissioner (Education and IT) of Chattogram, said, "If there is no option to offer academic streams other than science, how can the school authorities admit the students?"

He suggested that students who want to study commerce or humanities should move to private schools.