The government has postponed the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and equivalent exams scheduled for Thursday (Feb 12) as the BNP-led alliance has extended its shutdown until Friday morning. “We are postponing Thursday’s exams. We are not announcing a new date for it now,” Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid told a media briefing on Wednesday. He expressed hope that the BNP-Jamaat-e-Islami alliance would withdraw the shutdown. “I hope their heart will change,” he said. Exams of 37 SSC and equivalent subjects, which were to be held in five days, have been deferred so far. Exams on subjects related to religious studies were scheduled to be held on Thursday. Dakhil students were to take tests on Fiqh and Ussul Fiqh while those of vocational programme were to take Physics tests. The education minister has been urging the BNP-Jamaat alliance to leave the SSC examinations out of the purview of the blockade and shutdowns. Reiterating the appeal, Nahid has decided to postpone Thursday’s exams even as BNP decided to extend the shutdown. “The lives of our children are most valuable to us. We cannot push them to violence and jeopardise their safety,” he added. “The students are suffering most [due to the blockade]. Everyone in their families is worried. The people are anxious. No one is safe now,” he said. He also said the anxieties would have a negative impact on the examinees. “Please let us hold the exams only,” the minister urged. The education ministry deferred exams of Feb 2, 4, 8 and 10 due to shutdowns called along with the blockade. The examinations are now being held on weekly holidays. Around 1.5 million students are taking this year’s SSC examinations. In 2013, examinations of 37 SSC subjects and 41 Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) subjects were to be deferred due to similar protests by BNP-Jammat alliance. Junior school Certificate (JSC) and Junior Dakhil Certificate (JDC) examinations too were deferred due to BNP shutdowns last year.–bdnews24.com
