5% quota for school admissions cancelled, one extra seat per class to be reserved

The Ministry of Education has canceled its previous 5% quota for children from families affected by the July Uprising and introduced a new rule.

 Instead of the reserved quota, the Ministry has now decided to reserve one extra seat in each class for the children of those injured or killed during the uprising.

On Monday, the Ministry issued a new order that replaced the earlier decision, with the new directive signed by Mosammat Rahima Akter, the Additional Secretary (Secondary-1) at the Ministry of Education.

Previously, the Ministry had announced a 5% quota for the children of those injured or martyred during the July-August 2024 uprising. 

This decision was made in response to the tragic events of the uprising, where many students and citizens lost their lives or suffered injuries. 

The Ministry had aimed to help the families of these victims by offering them a certain number of reserved spots in government secondary schools.

However, the new directive issued on Monday replaces the quota system with a new approach. 

It specifies that one additional seat will be made available per class for these children. 

This new rule means that, while the quota system is no longer in place, each class will have one extra seat available specifically for children from families impacted by the July Uprising. 

These extra seats will be in addition to those already assigned for the lottery-based admission process.

Earlier, on March 2, the Ministry of Education‍‍`s Secondary and Higher Education Division (MOUSHI) had issued an order granting the 5% quota. 

This order stated: "In the July-August 2024 uprising, many students and citizens were either injured or martyred. A directive has been issued concerning the admission of their family members to government secondary schools."

The earlier directive also clarified that the children of freedom fighters or martyred freedom fighters, as well as the children of those affected by the July Uprising, would have 5% of the seats reserved in government schools. 

The directive required applicants to submit a certified copy of relevant documents or gazettes, with the original documents to be shown during the admission process.

It also mentioned, "If the family members of freedom fighters or those injured or martyred in the July Uprising 2024 are not available, the seats should be filled from the merit list. No seats should remain vacant under any circumstances."

This new order, which cancels the previous one, is expected to impact the way admissions are handled for the families affected by the July Uprising. 

With the changes in place, the Ministry hopes to offer a fairer and more inclusive approach while ensuring that the families who have suffered the most are not overlooked.