Lottery being introduced for admission up to class IX
Representational image generated by AI.
The government is now considering extending the lottery-based admission system up to grade nine, following its earlier decision to withdraw the entrance exam first graders after facing criticism.
The Ministry of Education is thinking of applying the same method for classes two to nine as well, and accordingly, the lottery system may be introduced for these classes from the next academic year (2027). Such discussions took place during a meeting at the ministry on Sunday regarding school admissions.
Several participants in the meeting said that officials expressed a positive opinion on introducing the lottery system for student admissions in classes two to nine. However, no final decision has been made yet. The Secretary of the Secondary and Higher Education Division, Abdul Khaleque, told journalists that the matter would be discussed more extensively with stakeholders, and only after that a final decision could be made.
Multiple ministry officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that a large portion of students who get admitted to first grade in prestigious schools continue their studies in subsequent classes. As a result, the number of vacant seats in classes two through nine each year get relatively small. Organising admission tests against these limited seats gives rise to various complaints every year. For this reason, the necessity of holding school admission exams for such a small number of seats has been questioned.
A joint secretary who attended the meeting told reporters that if the same admission procedure used for class one were applied to other classes in the same institution, the process could become easier, more uniform, and less controversial. In particular, admitting students through lottery could reduce dependence on coaching centres and the scope for admission‑related commercialisation.
After the BNP government took office, Education Minister A N M Ehsanul Haque announced on March 16 that from the 2027 academic year, the lottery system would be abolished for all classes and admission tests would be reintroduced. Following this announcement, widespread concern arose among parents regarding class one admissions, along with criticism. They specifically feared that coaching, private tutoring, and various types of preparatory businesses might increase due to the pressure of admission tests.
Questions were raised about the logic of pushing class‑one children into the competition of entrance exams. In that context, the Ministry of Education withdrew from its decision and kept the lottery system in place.
The lottery‑based admission system for class one in government secondary schools was introduced in the 2011 academic year. However, admissions for classes two to nine were still conducted through tests at that time. Later, due to the Covid‑19 pandemic, from the 2021 academic year, the lottery system was applied to all classes from one to nine.
Even after the pandemic situation normalised, this method continued for several years. As a result, the lottery‑based admission process has become a familiar procedure for parents.
