No PEC, Equivalent Exams This Year

This year’s Primary Education Completion (PEC) and equivalent examinations have been cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has approved the proposal for cancellation of PEC and equivalent examinations,” State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Md Zakir Hossen told journalists at a briefing here yesterday.

Senior secretary of the ministry Akram-Al-Hossain was present at the briefing.

The PEC and its equivalent class 5 examinations were scheduled for November and approximately three million students were expected to appear in the examinations.

Zakir said that if schools are re-opened this year, the fifth graders can sit for annual examinations at their own institutions.

On August 19, the Ministry sent a proposal to the Prime Minister seeking his approval to cancel this year's PEC and its equivalent Ibtedayi Education Completion Exams.

On 17 March, the Government ordered the closure of all educational establishments in order to curb the spread of coronavirus, and the closure was later expanded to 31 August.