Legal complexities may delay HSC results

The results of the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and its equivalent examinations were supposed to be published in December, but the publication may be delayed due to legal complexities, said education ministry officials.

The education minister announced on 7 October that the HSC results would be published by December.

As per the existing ordinance, education boards can announce results after examinations are held. But the education ministry decided that this year's HSC results would be based on Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and Junior School Certificate (JSC) scores as the exams could not be held due to the pandemic.

The HSC results are usually published in July every year.

The education ministry now thinks it needs a new ordinance to announce the results. The new ordinance must be passed by the parliament or approved by the president.

But it will be too late if the ministry waits for parliament's approval. That is why it will try to get the approval from the president.

Md Mahbub Hossain, secretary (secondary and higher education) to the education ministry, said they do not want to publish the results violating the law.

"We are trying to prepare a new ordinance very soon. Hopefully, we will be able to publish the results soon," he said.

Sources said top ministry officials had discussed the matter at an informal meeting, but no formal meeting had yet been held.

Education Minister Dipu Moni will hold an online press conference on Tuesday and clear the issues of publishing the HSC results, holding textbook festivals, and reopening educational institutions, ministry sources said.

Wishing anonymity, a ministry official told The Business Standard that the ministry needs at least 15 days to approve the new ordinance and the HSC results may be published in mid-January.

Professor Nehal Ahmed, chairman of Dhaka education board and member secretary of the result preparation committee, said the committee is trying to submit the results to the ministry by December, but it now depends on the technical wing.

"We cannot specifically say when the results will be published. The ministry will make a decision on the new ordinance," he added.

This year's HSC tests were scheduled to be held from 1 April at over 9,000 educational institutions under 10 education boards – eight general boards, one madrasah board and one technical education board. About 13 lakh students were ready to take the tests.

But the government later decided not to hold the tests due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and publish the results based on students' JSC and SSC scores instead.

Because of the pandemic, it was decided that Primary School Certificate (PSC) and JSC students would be promoted automatically while pupils of all other grades from primary to secondary level would be promoted the same way as well.

On 16 March, the education ministry issued a press release, announcing the government's decision to close all educational institutions and coaching centres from 18-31 March, taking into consideration students' safety amid the global pandemic.

Classes have remained suspended since then, but administrative activities gradually resumed.

The ministry extended the school closure on several occasions – first till 9 April, then 25 April, 5 May, 30 May, 6 August, 31 August, 3 October, 31 October, 14 November, 19 December, and finally till 16 January, 2021.