A legal notice has been served to authorities concerned to reconsider the decision of the government regarding not holding Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent examinations this year.
Supreme Court lawyer Barrister Shihab Uddin Khan sent the legal notice on Thursday on behalf of an HSC examinee Shatabdi Roy, a student at the Mofazzal Momena Chakladar Mohila College, Savar, Dhaka.
The notice request to evaluate the students based on the results of the test examinations taken by them in their respective colleges instead of by making an average of their Junior School Certificate (JSC) and Secondary School Certificate (SSC) results.
The notice also said the decision taken by the government will affect many students in many ways and will cause irreparable loss to their academic career.
Many students who did not do well in earlier board exams often get an opportunity to improve with their HSC results, and this year, these students are going to be left without a chance, the notice said.
The notice also stated that if it is not at all possible to hold the examinations in the current circumstances, the authorities should consider more appropriate, effective and acceptable methods for evaluating the examinees.
The notice said determining the results by an average of the previous results is a form of coercion and thus, is illegal, which the responsible authorities cannot legally do.
Secretary of the Secondary and Higher Secondary Division at the Ministry of Education, the Director-General of Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education and all of the Chairmen of Intermediate and Secondary Education boards have been made respondents to the legal notice.
The notice sought response from the authorities concerned regarding this matter within 3 days. A writ petition will be filed with the High Court otherwise.
Earlier on September 7, Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni said no Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent examinations will take place this year.
The examinees will be evaluated differently, she added.
The minister made the disclosure during a press briefing through an online platform.
She said there will be no HSC and equivalent examinations this year. Instead, the students will be evaluated on the basis of their Junior School Certificate (JSC) and Secondary School Certificate (SSC) exam results.
The average results of the JSC and SSC examinations will be considered in the evaluation process and examinees will receive the results accordingly in December next, Dipu Moni said.
This year’s HSC and equivalent examinations were scheduled to begin from April 1. However, the government closed all educational institutions on March 16 to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The closure has been extended until October 31 in a latest decision as there has been no marked improvement in the situation.
Around 13 lakh students were expected to sit for the HSC and equivalent examinations this year.
Dipu Moni on Sept 30 said they are making plans considering various alternatives since experts have warned about the possible second wave of coronavirus during winter.
Besides, there will be no Primary Education Completion (PEC) and its equivalent Ebtedayee examination for 2020 and the students will be promoted to the next class through class assessment instead.
nh/teb
