The government is planning to reduce the number of higher secondary and equivalent examinations to quickly wrap up this year's academic session, which has been on hold due to the coronavirus epidemic.

The exams will be held 15 days after the situation in the country is under control, Education Minister Dipu Moni said in a virtual discussion on Saturday.

All academic institutions in the country were shut down on Mar 17 amid the coronavirus outbreak. The HSC and equivalent exams were slated to begin on Apr 1 but were subsequently postponed. After several spells of extension, the government has stretched the shutdown of schools and colleges until Aug 6.

With the epidemic showing little sign of abating, both students and guardians are growing increasingly concerned about the prospect of the exams this year.

"I've said before that once the situation is right, we can hold the exams within 15 days. We have to give students a 15-day notice. We must give them time to prepare," Dipu Moni said.

Under the current circumstances, many have called for the HSC syllabus to be trimmed but the education minister rejected the suggestion.

"There is no reason for the syllabus to be cut down as students have already completed it."

https://bdnews24.com/education/2020/06/27/bangladesh-plans-to-cut-down-hsc-exams-in-pandemic