Is it time to rethink our board exam schedules?

My friend, whose sister is sitting for the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) exams in Lama Upazila, Bandarban this year, was growing increasingly anxious as the water from the nearby river reached the entrance of their house. Yet, she still had to think of ways to get to her examination centre while the roads remained submerged. Fortunately, the exam was postponed at the last minute because the situation had deteriorated beyond what could reasonably be managed.

I remember that in June 2024, HSC examinations in Sylhet had to be postponed due to flooding. Even before that, in 2023, the Chittagong Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (CSEB) postponed four HSC and equivalent examinations because of floods. There is a pattern here that is unmistakably clear: floods have altered the course of education for lakhs of students across Bangladesh.

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The HSC is one of the most important public examinations a student has to sit for, serving as a crucial stepping stone towards their future aspirations. And yet, we seem to be overlooking that some students have to put up with hurdles that others do not, namely, those who simply have the geographical luck of not having their homes flooded.

The problem persists simply because of the time at which the HSC examinations have been scheduled. The schedule changes followed the Covid-19 pandemic and the earlier arrival of Ramadan in the calendar year. But now is the time to rethink the HSC schedule because of the ongoing disruption caused by the incessant rainfall over the past few days, which has triggered flooding in many parts of Bangladesh.

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Floods, education, and uncertainty

This forced examinees in Cumilla, Bogra, and Noakhali to wade through knee-deep to waist-deep water and take boats and vans to their centres. Students left home early yet struggled to arrive on time. Some were unable to obtain transportation, while others took a motorbike or rickshaw before walking through muddy water. The situation was severe at Comilla Government Women's College, where the entire campus was inundated. Water invaded the buildings, and the road in front was submerged in knee-to-waist-deep water.

The education minister calling the students "farm chickens" only added to their distress. The Inter-Education Board advised students to reach their examination centres well ahead of time, signalling a lack of recognition of those bearing the brunt of the crisis: the students whose futures depend on this examination. Here, the issue of privilege comes into focus because the further one is removed from the hardships of ordinary people, the less one understands their realities.

As this has become a recurring pattern in Bangladesh, with heavy rainfall affecting many key regions of the country every year, how can one of the most important examinations in the country be so casually scheduled during the flood season? Although the education minister has apologised for his remarks, that does not make the problem disappear. The scheduling of key board examinations must be reconsidered to make them more student-friendly.

If annual monsoon flooding continues to disrupt examinations, then the examination calendar must evolve accordingly. Education should not become another casualty of a predictable climate pattern, nor should a student's future depend on whether their home lies on higher ground. Rethinking the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and HSC schedules is a necessary step towards ensuring equal opportunity for every examinee, regardless of where they live. 

References:

1. The Daily Star (July 13, 2026), HSC examinees wade through floodwaters to reach centres.

2. The Daily Star (July 14, 2026), HSC examinees take to streets nationwide, demand education minister’s resignation.

3. The Daily Star (July 14, 2026), HSC exams likely to continue under all boards except Chattogram.

4. Dhaka Tribune (July 14, 2026), Education minister regrets remarks amid student protests.

5. Daily Ittefaq (July 14, 2026). The exams will be held as per the routine, Inter-School Education Board advises to reach the center with sufficient time.

6. Prothom Alo (August 13, 2023), Chittagong Board announces new schedule for four postponed HSC exams.

7. Prothom Alo (June 20, 2024), Sylhet division HSC exams postponed until July 8.