No public exams before SSC as new curriculum launches in 2023

Highlights-

• 10 common subjects for VI to X graders
• SSC examination based on class X  syllabus only
• Two public examinations in classes XI and XII
• New curriculum to take effect in 2023 and  full implementation in 2025

Education curriculum from the pre-primary to the higher secondary level in the country will go through massive changes from 2023 – no annual exams up to class III, no public examination before SSC and no separate streams of education in classes IX-X.

The subject-based group division will be applied from the higher secondary level, according to the draft outline of the national education framework that got approval from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday.

The prime minister, after witnessing a presentation of the draft outline at an event held at her official Ganabhaban residence on the day, emphasised making education programmes time-befitting, keeping pace with global educational advancement.  

"The world is progressing ahead with advanced science and technology. We have to cope with the advancement. So, it is solely necessary to make the education programmes time-befitting," she said.

The new curriculum will be formulated on the basis of the existing education policy, she said.

According to the proposed curriculum, all students from classes VI to X have to read 10 common subjects while the SSC examination will be based on the syllabus of class X only. At present, the public exam is conducted on the basis of the syllabuses for classes IX and X.

There will be two public examinations in classes XI and XII – meaning public examinations will be held at the end of each year. And the final result of the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) will be published by combining the results of these two examinations.

The proposed curriculum states that work on major changes in the education system from pre-primary to higher secondary level will be started experimentally next year.

It will be implemented for all from 2023. The new curriculum for primary and secondary will be fully implemented in 2025.

Students will get new textbooks as per the new curriculum in phases.

In 2023, students of classes I, II, VI and VII will receive textbooks under the new curriculum. Students of classes III, IV, VIII and IX will get the new books from 2024, and the 5th and 10th graders will receive new textbooks in the next year.

The ministry will provide the new books to the students of class XI in 2026 and class XII in 2027.

As a result, students will take part in the SSC examinations under the new curriculum from 2026 and the HSC exams from 2028.

The education ministry, and primary and mass education ministry will complete their preparations for the new system of education by this time, Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni said at a press conference held on the National Curriculum Outline at the Secretariat on Monday.

The new curriculum will emphasise competency rather than theoretical knowledge and that is why the ministry has set 10 main competencies that a student will achieve after grade 12, according to the draft outline.

The competencies are: student's ability to communicate, collaborate, express themselves, honour other people's opinions, think critically, solve problems, learn languages, communication, mathematics and reasoning, science and technology, the ICT, environment and climate, and values and morality.

Subject orientation, delivery and distribution patterns will also change. Content will be made following the framework of the new curriculum. Teachers will be trained throughout the year of 2022.

Students of class I-III will get their result from their performances in classes. Students of classes IV and V will get 40% marks for Bangla, English, Math and Science subjects on the basis of their performance in classes while another 60% will be determined by annual examinations. All marks in Physical and Mental Health, and Religion subjects will be based on class performances only.

For students of classes VI-VIII, 60% marks in Bangla, English, Math, Science and Social Sciences subjects will be based on class performance and another 40% will be determined on the basis of their performance in annual exams. Full marks in subjects i.e. Life and livelihood, Science and Technology, Physical and Mental Health, Religion, Arts and Culture will be given to class performance.

Students of classes IX  and X will get 50% of the marks in Bangla, English, Math, Science and Social Sciences on the basis of the class performance and the remaining 50% marks will be given on the basis of annual and public exams, respectively. Their full scores in Life and livelihood, Science and Technology, Physical and Mental Health, Religion, Arts and Culture subjects will be determined on the basis of class performance.

For students of class XI and XII, 30% of the marks in all their subjects will be given to class performance and the remaining 70% will be calculated based on their performance in public examinations.

Ministry to introduce modular education

As per the new curriculum, the education ministry will introduce a modular education so that students can learn and get certificates smoothly for the promotion and adaptation in a new job. Education will be through online.

Modular education refers to the division of conventional courses into smaller components or modules, and is being practiced worldwide to tailor education to job requirements. It also keeps lifelong learning open to gain skills when needed.

Each module enables students to obtain a partial certificate that can be combined into a qualification.

Many people have good knowledge but have no certificate. The ministry will make a process to evaluate them and will provide them with certificates that will help them get their expected jobs both at home and abroad," the education ministry sources said.

What experts say

Professor Dr Siddiqur Rahman, former director of the Institute of Education and Research at Dhaka University, told The Business Standard that they have been raising their voices against the PEC and JSC exams for many years. "I am very happy today that the government has finally planned to cancel such public examinations.

"It is a very good move that the government will reshuffle the education curriculum to build a future skilled generation."

He said, "The government must draft the new curriculum with the help of real experts. The curriculum should be drafted considering the socio-economic condition of the country."

Professor Narayan Chandra Saha, Chairman of the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB), told TBS that the ministry will implement the curriculum in phases. "I think the new curriculum will prove effective," he said.