Protecting million taka businesses!

M M Jasim :
The Cabinet on Monday rejected a proposal of Primary and Mass Education Ministry to abolish the primary terminal examinations. Instead, the Cabinet decided to take the PSC and JSC examinations this year as usual.
 “The decision came at the Cabinet meeting held at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban. The Cabinet proposed to table a bill in this connection after more scrutiny. The examinations will continue until any further decision is taken,” said Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam yesterday.
Meanwhile, frequent changes of mind by the policymakers’ over taking the Primary Education Completion (PEC) and the Junior School Certificate (JSC) examinations have given rise to criticism among the concerned circles, saying that it would create negative impact in the education sector.
Not only that, the students and the guardians have also expressed their utmost dissatisfaction over the Cabinet decision.
Ovibhabok Oikya Forum Chairman Ziaul Kabir Dulu said that Education Ministry and Primary and Mass Education Ministry have again shifted from their earlier decision apparently to protect million taka businesses of the coaching centers and guidebook houses.
Dulu said that the coaching and guide business would increase following for the latest government decision. “The coaching and guide houses managed the government for taking the examinations this year to pocket huge money.
He said that his forum protested the decision of the government to take the examinations this year.
“The government has violated the National Education Policy-2010, as there is no direction to take the Class-V completion examination,” he said.
Nuruzzaman, a guardian of Mohammadpur area, told The New Nation on Monday that his son has already stopped taking preparation to sit for PEC examination this year. But now the decision is again changed. Why the government bodies are not taking decision after reviewing the issue among themselves, he questioned.
Earlier on June 20, Primary and Mass Education Minister Mostafizur Rahman Fizar informed that the PEC examination will be abolished from this year (2016).
The primary education procedure includes from Class I to Class VIII under the Ministry. But, it is not possible to conduct two public examinations within the period of time, the Minister added.
He further said the primary education till fifth grade is honorary and this would be extended till eighth grade gradually.
But just after seven days, the Cabinet rejected the proposal of the Ministry to abolish the PEC examinations this year. And as per the decision of the Cabinet, the PEC and JSC examinations will be held this year too.
On June 15, the High Court in a ruling asked why the PEC exams should not be abolished, after hearing a petition by lawyer Yunus Ali Akhand who sought court’s directive to scrap the tests.
The primary education cycle in the country was recently stretched to the eighth grade and the entire process brought under the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education.
The government on May 18 decided to upgrade primary education to eighth grade instead of upto fifth in accordance with the National Education Policy.
The PEC test was introduced at the fifth grade in schools in 2009 following a Cabinet decision. The next year, Ebtedayee tests were introduced for madrasa students.
Those at the eighth grade in schools and madrasas, the public examinations they appear in are the Junior School Certificate (JSC) and Junior Dakhil Certificate (JDC) tests.
Earlier, there was a separate examination at the fifth grade for scholarships but the PEC and Ebtedayee replaced that.