Madrasah, technical exams to be held with common question next year: Education minister

Education Minister ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon today (24 June) said from next year all compulsory and general subject examinations of Madrasah and technical education boards, along with the general education boards, will be held on the same day and with common question papers.

"This initiative has been taken to remove inequality in the country's education system" he said.

He made this statement while speaking as the chief guest at a view-exchange meeting held with the centre secretaries of the four education boards, on the occasion of the upcoming HSC and equivalent examinations 2026, at Azimpur Girls School and College Auditorium in the capital.

The education minister said despite having one education ministry and the same syllabus, there is no reason in conducting examinations with separate question papers in different boards in the country.

"This time, we have tried to bring the nine general education boards together and decided to conduct the examinations on same question papers. From next year, examinations for general subjects like Bangla and English will be held simultaneously in the same question papers for madrasahs and technical boards," he said.

Warning the officials about the challenge of introducing combined question paper in the current year's HSC examination, the minister, also minister of primary and mass education, said the question papers have been sent from BG Press in right way. 
The correct question papers should reach the examination centers as per the code in coordination with the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) and those concerned, he said. 

"If there is any mistake or code failure in the distribution of questions, there will be no way to get around it by expressing 'sorry' or regret. Whoever does mistakes will have to face strict punishment."

Explaining the background of Non-Government Teachers Registration and Certification Authority (NTRCA), Milon said, "When I was the state minister for Education from 2001 to 2006, I formed NTRCA to stop over-saturated institutions and opening schools and colleges for political purposes. 

Its purpose was to give a state certificate of qualification to teachers like PMDC for doctors or Bar Council for lawyers, not to provide direct employment. 

But the previous government has made it complex. As a result, qualified teachers are roaming around for jobs until the age of 50."

He said during the previous government, schools and madrasahs were set up in unplanned way violating rules. 

The minister said a high-level committee has already been formed to quickly coordinate between Ebtedayi and primary schools and bring these unregulated educational institutions under a regulation.

Dhaka-7 MP Hamidur Rahman was present at the meeting with Dhaka Education Board Chairman Professor Syed Md Akhtaruzzaman in the chair.

Besides, the chairmen of the concerned education boards, examination-related officers, district and upazila education officials were present.