Students have been automatically promoted to the next class without taking the Primary Education Certificate (PEC) and Junior School Certificate (JSC) examinations in 2020 due to the Coronavirus pandemic. So, this time there has been a complication with providing scholarships on the basis of results.
The Ministry of Education had set up a committee to decide how the scholarship could be provided. Considering all aspects, the committee has given the opinion that it is not possible to provide scholarship this time. As a result, the money allocated for this time is going back.
As the results were published through special evaluation without taking HSC and equivalent examination in 2020, scholarship will not be given for these students as well.
A five-member high-level committee was formed from the education ministry in April, the ministry officials said. The committee was asked to make a recommendation on how the scholarship could be awarded in accordance with the existing policy.
The committee was convened by Professor Shahedur Khabir Chowdhury, Director (College and Administration) of the Department of Secondary and Higher Education. Prof Nurul Islam Chowdhury, Deputy Director of the Access and Quality Assurance Unit of Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE), was made the Member Secretary.
The committee held two meetings on April 8 as well as after Eid-ul-Fitr and gave an opinion that it is not possible to give merit scholarship this time, had a representative from Dhaka Education Board, Madrasa Education Board and Madrasa Directorate each.
Professor Shahedul Khabir Chowdhury said, "Merit scholarships are based on the results of examinations. Since the examinations were not held in 2020, no solution has been found by trying to find alternatives within the existing policies. The money that was allocated for the scholarship is going back."
It is learned that 42,200 students were given scholarships in 2020 on the basis of the results of the latest Class VIII Junior School Certificate (JSC) and Junior Entry Certificate (JDC) examinations held in 2019.
In the same year, 82,500 students of the fifth grade of primary education and 22,500 students of the madrasa ibtedayi were awarded with scholarships.
