Stakeholders oppose plan to hold 2027 SSC, HSC exams this December
Since the Covid-19 pandemic, the country’s public examination schedule has undergone significant disruptions
Education stakeholders have expressed opposition to a preliminary plan to hold the 2027 Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinations in December this year, citing concerns over inadequate preparation time and incomplete syllabus coverage.
The views were shared during a meeting at the Ministry of Education today (13 May), attended by Education Minister ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon.
Teachers, students and other stakeholders who joined the discussion argued that a sudden shift to December would disrupt academic readiness.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
According to officials, most participants have recommended holding the SSC examinations in January 2027 and the HSC examinations in either April or June.
The Ministry of Education recently initiated a feasibility study to complete SSC and HSC examinations by 31 December each year.
The move aims to better align public examinations with the academic calendar and reduce time loss in students' academic lives.
As part of this plan, holding the 2027 SSC and HSC exams this December was under initial consideration.
However, the proposal triggered concerns among students and guardians.
Joining the meeting online, one student said, "If the exams are suddenly held in December, we will not have enough time to prepare."
HSC exam candidates also raised similar concerns. One participant said classes for the 11th grade began on 15 September last year, making it difficult to complete the syllabus if exams are held in December 2026.
An official present at the meeting said the majority opinion favoured holding SSC exams in January and HSC exams in June, while another official mentioned that April was also suggested as a possible timeframe for the HSC exams.
This year, SSC examinations began on 21 April, while the HSC exams are scheduled to begin in July.
Since the Covid-19 pandemic, the country's public examination schedule has undergone significant disruptions.
Although the SSC exams were traditionally held in February and the HSC exams in early April, that consistency has yet to be fully restored.
