Over 800,000 Seats Still Vacant in Government and Private School Admissions

After the centralized lottery for admissions to grades one through nine in government and private schools, 810,301 seats remain vacant. The Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE) has announced that schools can now accept new applications to fill these empty seats.

 

Of the vacant seats, 799,790 are in private schools in metropolitan and district headquarters, while 10,511 are in government schools. This year, 98,205 students were selected for 108,716 available seats in 680 government schools, leaving a shortfall. In contrast, 207,883 students were selected for 1,007,673 seats across 4,945 private schools in metropolitan and district areas.

 

The first waiting list includes 79,502 students for government schools and 101,156 for private schools, while the second waiting list has 58,558 students for government schools and 67,514 for private schools. The DSHE has directed schools to complete admissions for selected and waiting list students by December 30, 2025.

 

The admission process began on Wednesday. For the first six days, schools will admit students selected via the lottery, followed by three days for those on the first waiting list, and two days for the second waiting list. Schools are permitted to operate the admission process on Fridays and Saturdays as well.

 

Mohammad Aziz Uddin, Deputy Director of DSHE and Member Secretary of the Dhaka Metropolitan Admission Committee, stated, “If seats remain vacant after admitting students from the selected and waiting lists, schools may accept new applications. The application fee must not exceed BDT 110, and no more than 55 students can be admitted per class section.”

 

According to guidelines issued by the DSHE on November 11, 2024, schools in Dhaka must conduct admissions through a digital lottery system with approval from the Education Ministry, ensuring the presence of representatives from both the ministry and DSHE. Outside Dhaka, district and upazila admission committees oversee the process, with student selection conducted via digital or manual lotteries in the presence of a committee representative. If applications are fewer than available seats, schools can admit students directly without a lottery, following the latest admission policy issued by the Education Ministry.

 

The DSHE emphasizes adherence to these guidelines to ensure a transparent and efficient admission process across the country.