Staff Reporter :
The Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and its equivalent examinations-2018 began at 3,412 centres across the country on Thursday.
The Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid visited Government Laboratory High School centre in the morning and met the guardians to discuss about necessity of a peaceful environment.
After the meeting he said that examinations would be cancelled if it was proved that question papers were leaked. All kinds of measures have been taken to stop the menace, he said at the Govt Laboratory School, an examination centre, in Dhaka city.
“Rumours are swirling on Facebook about leakage of question papers. Think about the 2.5 million students who will have to retake the tests. But no test will be taken on leaked questions.”
‘We hope that no question papers will be leaked in this year. We are doing everything to prevent the question paper leak,’ said Nahid.
The Minister requested the guardians and the teachers not to indulge purchasing of question papers.
‘We are at high risks of holding the examination with unified question papers throughout the country. We want to win the battle fairly,’ he said. ‘Tough measures will be taken against people behind question leak. None of the guilty will be spared,’ he also said.
Replying to a query over Khaleda’s graft case verdict hampering the tests, Nahid said, “We hope no one will do anything to jeopardise the students’ future. Then again, we had managed to hold exams in such situations, but it was tough for us as well as for the students.”
Coaching centres have remained closed for a week and will not be allowed to operate until February 24, when the theoretical tests end.
Mobile phones or any other electronic devices have been banned in the centres. The centre secretary only will be allowed to use a phone but no camera. The sealed envelopes containing the questions have to be opened 30 minutes before the test.
This year, a total of 2,031,899 students, including 1,023,212 boys and 1,008,687 girls, are expected to sit for the examinations from 8,551 institutions. Of them, 1,627,378 students will sit for the SSC examination under eight general education boards, 289,752 for Dakhil exam under the Madrasa Education Board and 114,769 for vocational examination under the Bangladesh Technical Education Board.
A total of 458 students will sit for the examinations from eight overseas centres as well. The written examinations will continue until February 25 while the practical examination will be held from February 26 to March 4.
