After seven years, Bangladesh is set to revert to its previous school admission system. From the 2027 academic year, the BNP-led government under Tarique Rahman has decided to abolish the lottery-based admission process for classes 1 to 9 in both government and private secondary schools.
The Secondary and Higher Education Division of the Ministry of Education issued an official order on Tuesday (March 16), confirming the decision. With this move, students will once again have to appear for admission tests to assess merit.
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However, the decision has raised concerns that it could revive the coaching industry and increase financial pressure on parents.
Why the shift back to exams?
According to sources in the Ministry of Education, the move aims to improve the quality of education and ensure a more accurate assessment of merit. At a press conference on Monday, Education Minister A. N. M. Ehsanul Hoque Milan said that the lottery system was being scrapped following long-standing demands from parents and educationists.
The lottery-based system was introduced in 2019 by the Sheikh Hasina government to curb the commercialisation of admissions in reputed schools in Dhaka and to dismantle the growing ‘coaching racket’. Defending the latest decision, the minister stated, “We withdrew the lottery system, that’s it.”
Concerns over return of coaching culture
The decision has drawn mixed reactions across education circles. Critics fear that reintroducing entrance exams could lead to the resurgence of coaching centres and the practice of hefty ‘donations’ for admission into prestigious institutions.
Ziaul Kabir Dulu, President of the Parents' Unity Forum and a freedom fighter, pointed out that the coaching business had declined after the lottery system was introduced. “Now it will surge again. It will become extremely difficult for children from middle- and lower-middle-class families to secure seats in top schools,” he said, questioning whether merit can truly be assessed under such a system.
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Educationists and researchers have also expressed concern. Rasheda K Chowdhury and Professor Dr. Manzoor Ahmed termed the move “discriminatory.” They argue that introducing entrance exams as early as first grade could negatively impact children’s mental health. Dr. Ahmed also raised a critical question: “If a child has a lower IQ, will they be deprived of the right to education?”
Researchers further suggest that such disparities can only be addressed by implementing a mandatory local or ‘catchment area’-based admission system.
