Education
‘Sharifa’s Tale’ Removed from Class 7 Textbook
The Ministry of Education has decided to remove “Sharifa’s Tale” from the History and Social Science textbook for class 7, following recommendations from a probe committee, according to media reports.
The National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) has been instructed by the ministry to take the necessary steps to implement this change.
An official from the NCTB stated, “The story will be replaced with another on the same topic but with a different narrative.”
“Sharifa’s Tale” addresses the experiences and challenges faced by a third gender or “Hijra” individual. However, it attracted controversy after Asif Mahtab, a part-time lecturer at Brac University, objected to its inclusion, claiming that “students were being introduced to transgender and homosexual concepts through the story.”
A video of Asif Mahtab tearing out the pages of the textbook containing the story went viral on social media.
On 23 January, Education Minister Mohibul Hassan Chowdhury told reporters at the Secretariat that any inconsistencies in the story would be addressed and amended.
The Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent exams commenced across Bangladesh this morning, excluding the Sylhet division.
In Sylhet, the exams will begin on July 9 due to flooding, according to a Ministry of Education directive. The Sylhet Education Board Chairman, Rama Bijoy Sarkar, stated that new dates for the Bangla-I, II, and English-I and II papers will be announced later.
Nationwide, a total of 14,50,790 students from nine general education boards, the Madrasha Board, and the Technical Board are expected to take the exams at 2,275 centers from 9,463 educational institutions.
Among the candidates, 11,28,281 are from general boards, 88,076 from the Madrasha Board, and 2,34,433 from the Technical Board. Additionally, 281 students will take the exams from eight overseas centers.
Following tradition, all coaching centers are required to remain closed from June 29 to August 11.
Last year, 13,59,342 students participated in the examinations from all boards.
The HSC written exams will continue until August 11, followed by practical exams from August 12 to August 21. Exams under the Technical Board will end on July 18, with practical exams scheduled from July 19 to August 4.
Students must enter exam centers 30 minutes before the exams start. The question paper codes will be sent via SMS 25 minutes before the exams begin. Only exam center in-charges are allowed to carry mobile phones inside the centers.
Only examinees, center invigilators, ministry teams, board teams, local administration, upazila administration teams, and security personnel are permitted inside the exam centers.
In Dhaka, the Quick Response Team (QRT) of the Metropolitan Police will assist examinees during the exams, as previously announced.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the National Primary Education Week-2024 today, emphasizing a renewed commitment to ensuring quality education for children. The event took place at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium, where the prime minister served as the chief guest.
During the ceremony, Sheikh Hasina distributed the Primary Education Medal-2023 to 126 stakeholders in recognition of their contributions to primary education. The awards were presented in 18 categories, with 36 students, 15 individuals, and three organizations receiving medals directly from the prime minister.
The theme for this year’s Primary Education Week is “Shishu Bandhov Prathomik Shikkha, Smart Bangladesher Deekkha,” underscoring the importance of child-friendly primary education as a foundation for a smart Bangladesh.
State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Rumana Ali and Secretary Farid Ahmed also addressed the audience at the event. Additionally, a video documentary showcasing the development of primary and mass education across the country was screened.
The Jashore Education Board has achieved the highest pass rate of 92.32% among the nine boards in the 2024 Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examination, according to official data.
Conversely, Sylhet remained at the bottom with a pass rate of 73.35%, continuing its trend from last year when it also recorded the lowest pass rate of 76.06%.
Data from the education board website reveals that the Dhaka board secured a pass rate of 83.92%, while Rajshahi board achieved 89.25%, Cumilla board 79.20%, Barishal board 89.13%, Chattogram board 82.80%, Dinajpur board 78.40%, and Mymensingh board 84.97%.
Earlier today, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina received the results of this year’s SSC and equivalent examinations. Students have been able to access their results through the official website.
