HC rules on age edge for admission to colleges
Staff Correspondent
The High Court (HC) yesterday issued a rule on the government and education boards to explain in one week why they should not be directed to allow admission of students at colleges on the basis of marks instead of their date of birth.The court also asked them to show cause why the new rules (sub-clause 6 of clause 4 of the HSC admission policy 2006) introduced by the education ministry to consider the students' date of birth during college admission should not be declared illegal. The HC rule came following a writ petition filed by Uttara Dev Chowdhury, a lawyer from Chittagong Judge Court, challenging the new policy. The sub clause provides for consideration of the admission seekers' date of birth during their enrolment in colleges. The senior ones will get priority if the number of admission seekers securing same GPA in SSC exam is higher than the number of seats available in a college. The order issued by an HC division bench after hearing the writ petition will be sent to the respondents by special messenger. Respondents of the rule are -- education secretary, the chairmen of all Boards of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education, chairman of Madrasa Education Board, chairman of Technical Education Board, director general of the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education and director of the Directorate of Inspection and Audit. Advocate Abdul Matin Khasru moved for the petitioner while advocate Motaher Hossain Saju and advocate Selina Akter Chowdhury assisted him. The education ministry introduced the new policy for college admission on July 6 last. The petitioner alleged that the respondents have imposed discriminatory rules regarding the admission of the student in colleges on the basis of seniority according to their date of birth. She said the policy creates contradiction and discrimination between the students having same results in SSC, that goes against Articles 26 and 27 of the constitution. The petitioner also said most of the brilliant students achieving the highest grade, GPA-5, in this year's SSC examinations are likely to be denied admission in the renowned colleges due to shortage of seats at HSC level as there will be no admission test. Giving priority to the seniors among the students with same GPA is illegal, she said adding that age of the students can never be the main qualification for admission in the college. The petitioner said admission test is the universal method to determine the merit of the students but the government rules do not provide for such test.
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