School Admission 2027: Lottery May Continue for Class 1 to 5

The government is considering a new admission system for schools from the 2027 academic year. Under the plan, students seeking admission to grades one to five may be selected through a lottery. Students applying for grades six to nine may instead have to sit for admission tests.

Several sources at the Ministry of Education shared the information with the media. The plan is still under review, and no final decision has been issued.

The ministry had earlier said on August 7 that only first-grade admissions would use a lottery in 2027. After several meetings, officials began considering extending the lottery system to grades two through five. At the same time, they are considering tests for grades six through nine.

Ministry officials said a draft has already been prepared. Some changes are still pending. After those changes, the draft will be sent to the ministry for approval. If approved, the current admission policy may be amended and a new order may be issued.

Under an earlier plan, students seeking admission to grades two through five would take a 50-mark test. The test would last one hour.

It would include 15 marks in Bangla, 15 marks in English and 20 marks in Mathematics.

For grades six through nine, the earlier plan proposed a 100-mark test. The test would last two hours.

It would include 30 marks in Bangla, 30 marks in English and 40 marks in Mathematics.

The government has used lottery-based admission for government and private schools for nearly a decade. The system was first introduced for first-grade admission.

During the coronavirus pandemic, it was later expanded to other grades. The lottery system has remained in place for school admissions in recent academic years.

In 2024, several educational institutions called for admission tests for grades other than first grade. The Ministry of Education then held a meeting to discuss changes to the admission policy for the 2025 academic year.

The meeting, however, decided to keep the lottery system. The same system was retained for school admissions in the 2026 academic year.

The admission system has also remained a point of debate among parents. Some have supported lottery-based admission, while others have called for admission tests.

Differences over the two systems have also created uncertainty around admission activities at some schools. The issue has been especially noticeable in schools in Dhaka and other parts of the country.

The latest proposal would divide school admissions by grade from 2027. Grades one to five may continue under a lottery system, while grades six to nine may move to admission tests.

The final decision will depend on approval of the proposed changes to the existing admission policy.