Not lottery, but admission test will decide school entry: Edu minister

Admission tests and not the lottery system will determine a child’s eligibility to get enrolled into a school from next year, said Education Minister ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon at a press conference held at the Secretariat on Monday. 

The new decision is based on prolonged research works and consultations with stakeholders, the minister said noting that the consultation is an ongoing process.

The lottery system, introduced by the previous Awami League government, is akin to a gamble, and should not be allowed in the education sector, said Ehsanul Hoque Milon.

He also warned of action should school teachers launch a new “coaching business” centered on the upcoming admission test process. The government will arrange for “in-house coaching” for children, he said.

The Awami League government introduced the lottery system for admission to a school with a view to reducing the pressure of a huge number of aspirant students. However, the system paved the way for relatively less bright children to enter schools by dint of “sheer luck,” while leaving out meritorious students.

Earlier, on Sunday, at a parliament session, NCP leader and Cumilla-4 lawmaker Hasnat Abdullah questioned the education minister if the lottery system would be retained at the cost of sidelining merit.

In response, Ehsanul Hoque Milon said the issue is a “significant” one and a decision will be taken before the 2027 academic session through consultations with stakeholders including guardians of children.

In urban areas, there is a larger number of students than the number of available seats at quality educational institutions. To cope with the pressure, the previous government introduced the lottery system, but it was not a “logical step,” the education minister said at the parliament.