Education Minister ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon announced on Monday that from the next academic year, children’s entry into schools will be determined through admission tests rather than the lottery system previously used.
The minister made the announcement at a press conference at the Secretariat.
The decision follows extensive research and consultations with various stakeholders, including parents, educators and policy experts.
Milon emphasised that this consultation process is ongoing to ensure a fair and transparent system.
“The lottery system, introduced by the previous Awami League government, was essentially a gamble,” the minister said, noting that while it was intended to reduce the pressure of high demand for seats in quality schools, it often allowed less meritorious students to gain admission while sidelining deserving candidates.
He also cautioned against school teachers taking advantage of the upcoming admission tests by launching private coaching centres.
“The government will organise in-house coaching programmes to support students, so there is no need for any private coaching business to emerge,” he added.
Earlier, during a parliament session, NCP leader and Cumilla-4 lawmaker Hasnat Abdullah questioned whether the lottery system would continue at the cost of merit-based selection.
Milon responded that a final decision will be formalised before the 2027 academic session, ensuring input from parents and other stakeholders.
The minister highlighted that urban schools face an imbalance between the number of applicants and available seats, making merit-based testing a more logical and equitable approach than the lottery system.
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