Dhaka: The Directorate of Primary Education (DPE) has unveiled a new decision concerning the scholarship examination for primary school students. According to the department's decision, a maximum of 40 percent of students enrolled in Class V at each school will be eligible to take part in the examination. This participation will be contingent on the evaluation results from the first terminal examination, with the scholarship exam scheduled for December this year.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the DPE dispatched letters to all Upazila Primary Education Officers across the country on July 17 to communicate this development. The letters specified tentative dates for the scholarship examination, which are December 21, 22, 23, and 24. The examination will cover four subjects, namely Bengali, English, Primary Mathematics, Bangladesh and Global Studies, and Primary Science (combined).
Eligible participants will include students from government primary schools, PTI-affiliated checking schools, and primary schools associated with government secondary schools. Each subject will carry full marks of 100, and the examination duration will be two and a half hours.
The primary scholarship examination had been discontinued since 2009 following the introduction of the Primary Education Completion (PEC) examination. Although there was a decision to reintroduce it in 2022, it did not materialize. Instead, the government opted to provide scholarships as an alternative. Merit scholarships are awarded, and stipends for economically disadvantaged students are maintained. After a lengthy hiatus, the current interim government is poised to reintroduce this scholarship initiative.