SSC exams in 2027 planned for March instead of January

The education division is considering moving away from the earlier plan to hold the 2027 SSC and equivalent examinations from January 7 next year. Discussions are underway to begin the exams in March, taking into account the holy month of Ramadan, Eid-ul-Fitr and the opinions of examinees and guardians. Professor Syed Akhtaruzzaman, chairman of the Inter-Education Board Coordination Committee and chairman of the Dhaka Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board, said the examinations may start in mid-March.

Speaking to the media, he said the matter of starting the SSC exams in March is being reviewed after considering the views of examinees and guardians on Wednesday afternoon. A final decision on the issue will be announced soon. However, he also noted that no decision has been finalised yet.

Syed Akhtaruzzaman said the holy month of Ramadan is expected to begin in the second week of February next year. In view of this, discussions are ongoing about starting the SSC and equivalent examinations in mid-March after the end of Ramadan and Eid-ul-Fitr.

Earlier, Education Minister ANM Ehsanul Haque Milon had announced that the next year’s SSC and equivalent examinations would begin on January 7. Following that announcement on May 14, discussions and criticism started among educationists, students and guardians. A proposed schedule for the examination has already been published.

Later, while speaking to journalists at the Secretariat on June 2, the education minister said the decision to start the exams from January 7 could be reconsidered if the relevant stakeholders so desired. In that case, the examination schedule could also be changed, he added.

The academic journey of the 2027 SSC examinees has also been somewhat different. From Class Six to Class Eight they studied under the new curriculum introduced by the Awami League government. Later, in Classes Nine and Ten, they have been studying under the revised 2010 curriculum.

Meanwhile, due to delayed receipt of textbooks in Class Nine during the interim government period, students had been preparing to sit for the SSC and equivalent examinations in April 2027. Many examinees and guardians fear that if the exams suddenly start in January, nearly two million students may face losses.

According to previous rules, SSC and equivalent examinations used to be held in February and HSC and equivalent examinations in April. However, major changes were made to the academic calendar due to the coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent mass uprising. In continuation of this, this year’s SSC and equivalent examinations began in April and HSC and equivalent examinations in July.

With the aim of reducing the duration of students’ academic life, Education Minister ANM Ehsanul Haque Milon had planned to organise the next year’s SSC and equivalent examinations in January. However, considering Ramadan, Eid and the opinions of examinees and guardians, the option of starting the exams in March is now being freshly reviewed.