Hasina defends PEC, JSC exams

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday defended the holding of primary education completion (PEC) and junior school certificate (JSC) examinations, saying such examinations boost self-confidence of the children sitting for higher public exams.

"I don't know exactly whether our guardians cannot see the outcome of the PEC, JSC and equivalent examinations due to such types of exams, a self confidence is being boosted up among the students to pursue education, while a consciousness has been created among the people which I think are very essential," she said.

The prime minister said this when formally receiving the results of this year's primary education completion (PEC), junior school certificate (JSC) and their equivalent examinations.

Education minister Nurul Islam Nahid handed over the JSC and junior dakhil certificate (JDC) exam results, while primary and mass education minister Md Mustafizur Rahman handed over the PEC and ebtedayee exam results to the prime minister at a simple ceremony held at the PM's official Ganabhaban residence in Dhaka in the morning.

The premier said a controversy took place few days back whether the examinations like PEC and JDC would be held or not.

"At one stage many people did not want holding of such exams. But I think the people should be informed again about holding of such examinations because they expressed reluctance about such exams  it is not understandable to me why they did it," she said.

In this connection, the prime minister said earlier scholarship examinations were held in the country in class five and eight where a few number of selected students used to get chance for appearing these exams.

"The teachers had given attention to these students so that they obtain scholarships. But the teachers had no time to focus on other students and that's why they (students) did not give proper attention to their study," she said.

As a result, she said, those who were left out of the teachers' attention were deprived of better education. But there might be meritorious among them. But my question is that why they would be deprived, she said.

"From this point of view we want that everybody get scope for appearing such exams and scholarship would be provided to them according to the policy by seeing their results," she said.

The prime minister said the PEC and JSC exams help the students to get rid of fear about higher public exams like SSC and HSC. "They are frightened and become nervous when they appear for SSC and HSC examinations directly and their guardians become more nervous," she said.

Sheikh Hasina said fear of appearing higher public exams by the students is going to over as they are participating in PEC and JSC exams. "Everybody now can take SSC and HSC exams easily as they are getting scope for appearing in such examinations at tender age and as a result a separate self-confidence is growing among them," she said.

Besides, she said, the children are getting recognition along with a certificate for PEC and JSC examinations and it boosts up their confidence. "A strong foundation is being built among them for their self confidence at tender age," she said.

Sheikh Hasina also renewed her call to all including guardians, teachers, students and imams to remain alert so that none can step into militancy and terrorism, asserting that there would be no place for the two demons in the country.

"The children and others involved in education will have to be convinced that we want peace as development is not possible without peace ... terrorism and militancy are not a way of Islam. There is no place for terrorism and militancy in Islam," she said.

Sheikh Hasina said her government wants peace and development of the country and will ensure peace of the people. "So all will have to stay vigilant so that none can go to wrong path," she said.

Putting emphasis on mobilising public opinion and creating social movement against terrorism and militancy, the premier said the words of these social vices were not mentioned in anywhere the messages of great Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH), holy Quran and Hadith.

"So we will have to say and understand these things and disseminate the same to others properly," she said.

Extending her heartiest congratulations to the all successful students as well as the teachers, guardians, officials and employees of the ministries and education boards, Sheikh Hasina said she was very much delighted that the pass rates and the number of successful examinees increased this year.

She, however, asked the authorities concerned to look into the matter why the number of successful male students is less compared to their female counterparts.

Reaffirming her government's commitment to turn Bangladesh into a hunger and poverty-free prosperous and developed nation, the premier said: "We need an educated nation to achieve the goal .... I believe that only an educated nation could establish a poverty-free country."

She observed that the children of the country should have to pursue education in such a way so that they could keep pace in the competitive world.

The prime minister said whenever AL assumed office, Bangladesh was rewarded, while the country was rebuked whenever BNP-Jamaat came to power adding, "We don't want any more to be rebuked, we want to be awarded."

She said that the war criminals, including the Razakars, Al Badars, and Al Shams who were rehabilitated and reinstated in power after the assassination of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, would always try so that the country could not move forward.

"They always want to turn Bangladesh into a failed state and perhaps their conspiracy is yet to end" she said.

Sheikh Hasina said that Bangladesh is now regarded as a "role model of development" in the global arena, but it lagged behind in literacy, education, power generation, food security when war criminals and anti-liberation forces were in power.

Noting that Bangladesh has set examples across the whole world in education, health, poverty alleviation, generating employment and ensuring food security, she reiterated her firm resolve to turn Bangladesh into a hunger and poverty-free mid-income country by 2021 and a prosperous and developed one in South Asia by 2041.

Earlier, Sheikh Hasina electronically published the results of PEC, JSC, JDC and Ebtedayee exams on the occasion.

Education minister Nurul Islam Nahid and primary and mass education minister Md Mustafizur Rahman spoke at the function, while education secretary Sohrab Hossain conducted it.

The prime minister's principal secretary Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury and press secretary Ihsanul Karim were present on the occasion, among others.

Source: BSS