School admission lottery cancelled, experts raise concerns

The government has decided to cancel the long-standing lottery-based school admission system and reintroduce admission tests, a move that has triggered widespread concern and criticism among educationists.

Education Minister A N M Ehsanul Hoque Milon announced that from the 2027 academic year, students from Class I to Class IX in both public and private schools will be admitted through examinations. 

He disclosed the decision at a press briefing held at the Secondary and Higher Education Division of the Ministry of Education on Monday.

"We have decided to reintroduce admission tests for all classes from next year. However, these will not be complex exams," Milon said. "We are not trying to turn Class I students into neurosurgeons. The tests will be simple and designed to facilitate the admission process."

Dismissing concerns over a potential rise in coaching dependence and lobbying, he added that the nature of the exams would leave little room for such practices. "There will be no scope for coaching. Parents have no reason to worry. In my view, lottery-based admission has no place in an education system," he said.

However, the announcement has drawn sharp reactions from academics, who fear the move could revive inequalities and malpractice in school admissions.

Manzoor Ahmed, emeritus professor at BRAC University, argued that admission tests at an early age are inherently discriminatory. "Such exams tend to favour students who have access to coaching or private tutoring, putting children from economically disadvantaged families at a clear disadvantage," he said.

Echoing similar concerns, Prof Mohammad Mojibur Rahman of the Institute of Education and Research at the University of Dhaka said the

decision contradicts the core objectives of education. "Children are already burdened with learning from an early age. Subjecting them to admission tests adds unnecessary pressure and hampers their natural development," he noted, warning that the move could further fuel the coaching business.

Admission tests were once the norm in Bangladesh's school system, often leading to intense competition among young children and a surge in private tutoring. Allegations of irregularities and nepotism were also common.

In response, the government made lottery-based admission mandatory for Class I in public secondary schools starting from the 2011 academic year, later extending the system to private schools. 

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the lottery system was expanded to cover all grades from the 2021 academic year a policy that has remained in place until now.

With the latest decision, the government is set to reverse that approach, reigniting a long-standing debate over fairness, access, and the purpose of early education.