One country, one question paper for SSC and HSC exams: Minister

Published : Thursday, 18 June, 2026 at 8:04 PM Count : 14

Education Minister ANM Ehsanul Haque Milon today said the government has taken steps to hold SSC and HSC examinations across the country using uniform question papers.

“One education board sets easier questions, while another sets more difficult ones. In one Bangladesh, SSC and HSC examinations cannot be conducted with different sets of questions,” he told a press briefing at the Secretariat.

The briefing was arranged to inform the media about the Primary School Gold Cup Football Tournament and the “Startup, Science Project and Innovation Idea Showcasing Programme”.

Milon said the move was intended to ensure consistency across the examination system. Referring to O- and A-Level examinations, he noted that their question papers do not vary from one country to another.

Asked about class one admission tests, the education minister said the planned test would be “nominal” and would not be the kind of exam for which children would need coaching.

He said the government was also working on catchment areas for school admission. Details of whether the process would be centralised had not been finalised, he added.

Milon said the government was working on qirat and music competitions, moral education, family values and religious education simultaneously.

On teacher shortages, he said the education ministry would work with the cultural affairs ministry, and cultural personalities at the district level could support schools through upazila-level clusters.

Mahdi Amin, education adviser to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, said the government wanted an education system based on equity, civic values, discipline, practical skills and real-life learning.

From the next academic year, sports and culture will be introduced as new subjects from class four, he said. “Learning with happiness” and technical and vocational education will be introduced from class six.

He said culture would not mean only music and dance; it could include reading, handwriting, recitation, poetry, storytelling, debate and arts. Sports would include football, cricket, kabaddi, chess and swimming, among others.

Mahdi said more than 11 lakh boys and more than 11 lakh girls from 65,342 schools took part in the Primary School Gold Cup Football Tournament, which began on April 6.

The final will be held at the Army National Stadium on June 20.

Primary and Mass Education State Minister Bobby Hajjaj said the ministry was taking an initiative to arrange global-standard football training for champion teams through football bodies.

The final round of the Startup, Science Project and Innovation Idea Showcasing Programme will be held on June 29 at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre.

FP/MI