State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Bobby Hajjaj has said the government will review policies related to primary scholarship examinations, including the number of participating students and the amount of stipends.
He said necessary reforms would be introduced to further encourage students and enhance participation.
The state minister made the remarks on Saturday morning while speaking to journalists after inspecting a scholarship examination centre at Mannan Government Primary School in Paradogar, Jatrabari, in the capital.
Outlining the background, Bobby Hajjaj said the examination had been scheduled during the tenure of the previous interim administration but could not be held.
He stressed that the current government does not intend to discontinue the initiative, describing it as an important tool for encouraging both students and parents. The authorities, he added, moved to organise the exam after assuming office and plan to hold it regularly in the coming years.
On the issue of coaching centres, Bobby Hajjaj reiterated the government’s firm stance against what he termed a long-standing social problem. He said new policies and innovative measures have been adopted to regulate the sector, which will soon be introduced on a trial basis. So far, he noted, no major complaints have been reported regarding the primary scholarship examinations.
Highlighting infrastructure development, the state minister said projects such as the ‘Dristinondon Project’ and the Primary Education Development Programme (PEDP-5) are under way to improve school facilities. These include the construction of additional classrooms, upgraded sanitation facilities, modernised designs and improved furniture.
He added that he, along with senior officials, has been visiting educational institutions in recent days to monitor examination conditions. Overall, the environment at centres has been found satisfactory, with necessary facilities in place for students.
Senior officials, including the Secretary of the ministry Abu Taher Md Masud Rana and Director General of the Directorate of Primary Education Abu Nur Md Shamsuzzaman, were present during the visit.
