Government plans new opportunities for students who failed SSC exams

The government is planning a new action plan to create employment and career opportunities for students who failed the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinations or did not achieve their expected results, Prime Minister’s Adviser for Education and Primary and Mass Education Mahdi Amin has said.

The initiative will focus on using students’ skills and creativity to help them build careers and become self-reliant, he said.

Mahdi Amin made the remarks while speaking as the chief guest at the Challenged Students Convention 2026 at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in Agargaon, Dhaka, on Saturday (October 10).

He said a long-term action plan was being developed through discussions with the Ministry of Education, the education minister and education boards.

Under the plan, interested students could receive technical and vocational training, foreign language education and support to become entrepreneurs. The government is also considering providing initial funding to students who have viable business ideas, he added.

Three-month retake option under consideration

Mahdi Amin said the government would positively consider whether students who failed individual subjects could be allowed to retake the examinations within three months instead of waiting a year.

“Students may perform poorly for various reasons, including financial hardship, family problems, and a shortage of teachers and classrooms. Therefore, a student's talent and future should not be judged solely by examination results,” he said.

Referring to this year's SSC examinations, he said around 690,000 students had not achieved their expected results.

“Whatever their results, the government will stand beside every student. The goal of this initiative is to help them become self-reliant through technical skills, language education and appropriate training,” he said.

The proposal to allow students to retake examinations within three months, along with other forms of support, remains under consideration by the government and has not yet been finalised.