With no prior notice, many students feel unprepared to face such a consequential board exam. For months, uncertainty around schedules had already disrupted study routines. This instantaneous decision has only intensified the pressure.

Students are not the only ones affected. Teachers, too, were caught off guard. Without adequate time to revise the syllabus or guide classes properly, many educators feel unable to support their students effectively. The lack of coordination highlights a deeper issue in academic planning and communication.

At the heart of this situation lies a critical question, that is, who bears the consequences of such decisions?

The education system is at risk of losing its core purpose, providing meaningful support where it is needed most.

According to Tamim, a candidate from Adamjee Cantonment College, this has resulted in a significantly compressed academic trajectory and deprived them of the complete 24-month educational cycle. Frustration and disagreement with the decision have also been reflected in the remarks of Zuairia, another candidate from Viqarunnisa Noon College.

She added, “We weren’t given a heads-up about this a month ago. We were led to believe that HSC would begin in late June or mid-July. We are yet to get a concrete HSC routine. It honestly feels very careless from the Board’s end, and it’s disheartening to see them being this irresponsible.”

National-level support systems are not as smooth and effective as institutions in Dhaka.

In Zuairia’s comments, it’s evident VNC isn’t either: “Our teachers were under the impression that HSC would begin in June. We have not been given any model test dates yet; we are going to start the first paper part of our test examinations from 2 April. Even if they take a model test, I’m assuming it’s going to be very last-minute, and that isn’t helpful for our preparation. In terms of resources, many ed-tech platforms are capitalising on this and launching new courses. Hopefully that helps, I don’t know.”

Many students like Tamim and Zuairia started to take preparation, thinking they had time to manage all of that, but were met with this unannounced pressure.

The timing is also a matter of inconvenience, as the HSC exam is scheduled six to seven days after the holy Eid al-Adha, which is beyond the pale.
Zuairia contemplates that the board is prioritising administrative convenience over student welfare. “SSC practicals don’t even end by 7 June. I don’t understand the importance of starting HSC this early, given that another board exam will still be going on at that time.”

While Tamim thinks that the current approach to this restoration appears to come at a high cost to the academic outcomes of students:
“It is increasingly evident that the decision is being pursued not with careful regard for student preparedness, but with a disproportionate emphasis on administrative convenience.”

This sudden shift in date has left all the candidates off the cut and impacted their mental well-being. It created an impact on Zuairia as well as on Tamim.

“I now have less time to revise and am having to completely change the way I planned my revision cycle. I am no longer getting June to focus on more problem-solving and refining my weak areas. Suddenly, it feels like I’m running out of time, which is causing me to panic more. I know this anxiety will go away soon, but I’m still pretty sad about losing 37 days,” shared Zuairia.

While teachers expressed differing opinions, upon asking Sharif Al Qurayshi, Lecturer, Department of English, from Adamjee Cantonment College, he said, “There are some discrepancies between policy and classroom practices, but teachers should try to implement the policy adopted for a better learning experience for the learners.”

Whether the current timeline allows proper conceptual understanding or if it is becoming rushed learning, he affirmed differently from that of the candidates. “I think the current timeline allows proper preparation; however, it is high time to revise the syllabuses to reflect actual lost time.”

These two candidates echo much of the discontent among the current HSC candidates. The differing opinions among teachers, candidates, and stakeholders have created widespread uncertainty about the outcome of HSC 2026.

Although results in the board examinations continue to receive the highest priority, meaningful reform remains largely absent, as always, in Bangladesh’s education system.