GPA-4 scale to replace GPA-5 in public exams
A meeting on this matter was chaired by Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni in the conference room of the International Mother Language Institute on Sunday
A 4-point scale will replace the current 5-point scale used for publishing the grade point average in the results of public exams, said sources at the Ministry of Education.
A meeting on this matter was chaired by Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni in the conference room of the International Mother Language Institute on Sunday.
Sources said that all the participants at the meeting have agreed to change the existing grading scale from five to four for the results of the Junior School Certificate, the Secondary School Certificate and the Higher Secondary Certificate examinations.
Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni said in the meeting that Bangladeshi students have been facing problems due to differences in scales in which results were published. The students will not face such problems after the introduction of the new system.
"Two or three more meetings are needed to discuss all the objections to and shortcomings of the proposed system. But the system is in the pipeline. I think we could publish it soon," said the minister.
Professor Ziaul Haque, chairman of the Dhaka Education Board, told The Business Standard that the ministry has completed the field level and expert level work in this regard. "We will sit just to finalise and publish the draft," he said.
Senior Secretary (Secondary and Higher Education Division) Md Sohrab Hossain, Director General of Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education Professor Md Syed Golam Faruque, Director General of Directorate of Madrasa Md Shafiuddin Ahmed and Madrasa Board Chairman Professor Kaisar Ahmed, were also present at the meeting.
Educationist Syed Manzoorul Islam said that the introduction of the GPA-4 scale in public exam results instead of the 5-point scale will be consistent with the international standard that is now being followed by the higher educational institutions.
"The grading system of the country will be parallel with the education systems in other countries, and it will be a time-befitting decision," he added.
Dr Syed Shahadat Hossain, professor of Institute of Statistical Research and Training of Dhaka University, told this correspondent that it would be good for students if the ministry decides to change the grading system.
"Students face problems when they go abroad for higher education because their public exam results are based on the GPA-5 system, whereas the results in other countries are based on a 4-point scale," he said.
The education ministry had introduced the grading system for the results of SSC Examination in 2001 and in the HSC Examination in 2003. The new grading system has made the student evaluation system more practical than the earlier system.