SSC Exam Reform 2026 — Bangladesh Limits Public Exams to 5 Core Subjects
SSC Exam Reform 2026 — Major Changes Proposed for Bangladesh Secondary Education
A government consultation committee has proposed sweeping reforms to Bangladesh’s SSC examination system, recommending that public exams be limited to only five core subjects. Here’s what every student and parent needs to know.
- Reform Body: Consultation Committee for Improvement of Secondary Education (10-member panel led by Emeritus Professor Manzoor Ahmed)
- Proposal Date: February 2026 — submitted to Education Adviser CR Abrar
- Core Subjects for SSC: Bangla, English, Mathematics, Science, and Social Science only
- Subjects Removed from Public Exams: ICT, Religion, Physical Education, Arts — to be assessed internally by schools
- PSC/JSC: Recommended to remain permanently abolished
- Stream Division: Proposed delaying from Class 9 to Class 11
- Academic Calendar: Proposing shift from January-December to September-June cycle
Key Findings from Field Assessment
- 71.4% of students failed to achieve pass mark in Mathematics
- 55.4% of students failed to reach passing grade in English
- Assessment covered 437 students from 10 schools in char, haor, and coastal areas
What This Means for Students
If adopted, SSC examinees would sit for written exams in only 5 subjects instead of the current full load. Subjects like ICT would shift to practical, hands-on school-based evaluation. This would reduce exam pressure and shorten school closures during exam season.
Other Major Proposals
- Universal education guaranteed up to Class 12
- Unified school system under a single authority (pre-primary to Class 12)
- Constitutional recognition of education as a fundamental right via an Education Rights Act
- National Teaching Service Corps modelled on civil service recruitment
- September-June academic year with long vacation in July-August (monsoon season)
Sources: The Daily Star | The Daily Star
