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A writ petition has been filed seeking a complete ban on admission tests for students from Class II to Class V at primary-level institutions, as well as a prohibition on commercial supplementary books other than textbooks approved by the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB).
Lawyer Md Mahmudul Hasan Mamun filed the petition with the High Court on Monday, November 9.
The Cabinet Secretary, secretaries of the Secondary and Higher Education Division and the Primary and Mass Education Ministry, the Director General of the Directorate of Primary Education, and the NCTB chairman have been named as respondents.
The petition argues that under the Primary Education (Compulsory) Act, 1990, every child has an unconditional legal right to access primary education without facing barriers to admission.
It claims that the government’s formulation of the Government Secondary School Student Admission Policy 2027 has exposed young children to competitive admission tests, allegedly violating the provisions of the law and exceeding the government’s legal authority.
According to the petition, such examinations create fear and psychological trauma among children.
It also alleges that educational institutions, in collusion with commercial publishers, are imposing excessive supplementary books and guidebooks on students in violation of the National Curriculum and Textbook Board Act, 2018.
The petition further argues that the additional academic burden harms children’s physical and mental well-being, potentially affecting their spinal health and ability to think independently.
It also refers to the National Education Policy 2010, which provides for one year of government-approved pre-primary education.
However, the petition alleges that kindergartens and other educational institutions across the country have introduced multiple unauthorised levels, including playgroup, nursery, KG-1 and KG-2, turning early childhood education into a commercial enterprise.