Dhaka, Oct 29 (V7N)- The Ministry of Education has issued admission guidelines for public and private institutions at the secondary and higher secondary levels for the 2025 academic year, reserving 5% of seats for children of freedom fighters but excluding any quota for their grandchildren.

The policy confirms that only sons and daughters of freedom fighters or martyred freedom fighters will benefit from this reservation. Applicants must submit a certified copy of relevant documents with the admission application and present the original at the time of enrollment. If eligible children of freedom fighters are not available, the seats will be allocated based on the merit list, with no option to hold seats vacant.

Last year’s guidelines allowed grandchildren of freedom fighters to fill any vacant seats under the quota if children of freedom fighters were unavailable; this provision has been removed from this year’s policy.

Additional provisions in the policy include:

  • Special Needs Students: 2% of seats are reserved for students with disabilities, given they meet the minimum qualifications, with any unfilled seats reverting to the waiting list.
  • Lillah Boarding Students: 1% of seats will be reserved for children residing in Lillah Boarding, aiming to mainstream them in local education.
  • Ministry of Education Employees’ Children: 1% of seats will be set aside for children of Ministry of Education employees, subject to meeting admission requirements.
  • Catchment Area Policy: Private schools in Dhaka must reserve 40% of seats for local students. However, this does not apply to students progressing from grade 5 to grade 6 within the same school.

In terms of fees, MPO-listed institutions in the capital are permitted to charge an admission fee of up to Tk5,000, while partially MPO-listed and English-medium schools may charge Tk8,000 and Tk10,000 respectively. Development fees in Dhaka schools are capped at Tk3,000, and institutions are prohibited from charging re-admission fees annually, although a session charge may be collected.

The policy aligns with the National Education Policy 2010, mandating that students over 6 years must be guaranteed admission. First graders must be between 5 and 7 years old as of the academic year, with age determination based on a certified birth registration certificate. An additional age allowance of up to 5 years is granted for students with special needs.

END/MSS/AJ