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Wasim Bin Habib

The Daily Star

Publication Date : 05-03-2013

Bangladesh's current political unrest is taking a heavy toll on students as frequent shutdowns are seriously disrupting the academic activities at all levels.

The examinees of the ongoing Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and equivalent exams, in particular, are faring the worse as their exams are being postponed continuously.

Classes in schools, colleges and universities are also being held up due to the strikes, creating uncertainty over whether the syllabus can be completed within the academic year.

Also hit hard are the graduate and post-graduate students under National University as their examinations have been deferred.

This year’s SSC and equivalent exams began on February 3. But the tests, in 37 subjects under eight education boards across the country, were delayed, and continue to be pushed back.

Most of the postponed exams have been rescheduled for weekends.

Talking to The Daily Star, examinees, teachers and guardians expressed deep frustration over the recurrent strikes and urged the political parties to maintain peace during public examinations.

“I am already dispirited by the recurrent hartals (strikes). I had prepared well for one subject, but that exam was postponed and I had to focus on another subject,” said Anik Rahman Oni, an SSC examinee from Dhaka.

Mahfuzur Rahman, whose daughter is taking the SSC exams from Viqarunnisa Noon School and College, said, “We are gravely concerned. If it goes on like this, we don’t know when the exams will be over and the results will be published.”

Political parties should consider the students’ plight before announcing protest programmes, he observed.

Manju Ara Begum, acting principal of Viqarunnisa Noon School and College, said hartals make it difficult for educational institutions to complete the syllabus within the academic year. “It will not be possible to publish the results in time if the examinations are delayed frequently,” she added.

The examinees under the National University (NU) faced a similar ordeal.Already, several examinations have been postponed due to shutdowns. If the situation goes on, it might see the university plunge into a severe session jam, NU officials fear.

“We need to hold exams round the year and if an examination is postponed, it affects the entire academic calendar of the university,” said Badruzzaman, controller of examinations at NU.