The Bangladesh government has approved a new curriculum for primary and secondary level education, incorporating sweeping reforms and changes, including the abolition of all exams till 3rd grade, to improve the learning outcome among school children. The new policy has a provision for a two-day weekend.

The Education Ministry after holding the meeting of the National Curriculum Coordination Committee (NCCC) approved the new education policy, officials said. The policy states no exams will be conducted till grade third and the number of books for grade fourth and grade five have also been reduced to reduce the education burden on children.

Approved on Monday, the new curriculum will come into effect in 2023 for the first, second, and sixth graders. For third, fourth, and ninth graders, the policy will come into effect in 2024. And for fifth and tenth graders from 2025 and 11th and 12th graders from 2026. 

The government has also scrapped the Junior School Certificate (JSC), Primary Education Completion (PEC), and other equivalent exams. Students of grade IV and grade V onwards will be evaluated based on their class assessments round the year, Dhaka Tribune said. 

From sixth grade onwards, students will have to study 10 subjects and the SSC examinations will be held on the syllabus of the 10th grade. The 11th graders will be able to choose one of the three streams—science, humanities, and business studies. 

Two separate public exams will be held for 11th grade and 12th grade, and the scorers will be added to assign the HSC results.

(SAM)