School Entry: Applications from Nov 12, selection through lottery

The Ministry of Education yesterday published an admission policy for non-government schools at the secondary, lower secondary, and primary levels.

Student selection and admission in these schools for the 2025 academic year will be conducted through a digital lottery system.

The application process for both government and non-government schools will start online from November 12 and will continue till November 30.

The lottery will take place in December, according to the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education.

The Secondary and Higher Education Division issued the policy, specifying that students may be admitted to entry-level classes till ninth-grade, depending on seat availability, with a maximum of 55 students allowed per section.

Meanwhile, some 40 percent seats in non-government schools within Dhaka metropolitan areas will be reserved for students residing in respective localities, while five percent seats will be allocated under the freedom fighter quota.

As per the National Education Policy 2010, children aged 6 and older are eligible for admission.

However, students must be between 5 and 7 years old as of January 1 and December 31 of the entry year, and their ages must be verified through an attested copy of their birth certificate, submitted with the admission application.

For students with special needs, age requirement may be relaxed for up to five years, according to the policy.

The digital lottery process for admission will be conducted centrally by the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education.

The Secondary and Higher Education Division will set the digital lottery's date, time, and application fees.