Bangladesh Scraps Admission Tests for Government Schools, Adopts Lottery System

Key facts

• DSHE published the Govt School Admission Circular 2026 on an unspecified date.
• All applications must be submitted online via gsa.teletalk.com.bd from November 21 to December 5, 2025.
• No admission tests will be conducted for any class from 1 to 9.
• Selections will be made through a centralized lottery draw scheduled for December 14, 2025.
• Applicants can choose up to five schools, with two shifts at the same school counting as two choices.
• Minimum age for Class 1 is 6 years; each subsequent class requires one additional year.
• Results will include both merit and waiting lists; unfilled spots will go to waitlisted students.

A New Era for School Admissions

The Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE) has officially released the Government School Admission Circular for 2026, announcing a sweeping change: the elimination of admission tests for all classes from 1 to 9. Instead, the ministry will rely on a centralized lottery draw to allocate seats. The decision, framed as a measure to alleviate stress on young students and ensure equal access, marks a departure from decades of competitive testing. The application window opens on November 21, 2025, and closes on December 5, 2025. All submissions must be made exclusively through the official portal gsa.teletalk.com.bd; no offline forms will be accepted. The lottery itself is scheduled for December 14, 2025.

How the Lottery Will Work

Under the new system, parents or guardians can list up to five school preferences in a single application. Selecting two shifts at the same institution counts as two separate choices. The DSHE will conduct a single centralized lottery to determine admissions, with results published as both a merit list and a waiting list. If selected students fail to complete enrollment by the deadline set by the admission committee, their spots will be offered to candidates on the waiting list. The ministry emphasized that the lottery is designed to be transparent and fair, removing the subjective element of test scores. However, officials have not yet detailed the technical mechanism for randomization or how ties will be resolved.

Eligibility: Age Requirements Only

No special qualifications are required for admission to government schools beyond meeting age criteria. For Class 1, a child must be at least 6 years old at the time of application. For each subsequent class, the minimum age increases by one year: 7 for Class 2, 8 for Class 3, and so on up to Class 9. The DSHE has stated that these age limits will be strictly enforced, and applicants must ensure their child meets the requirement before submitting the form. The policy aligns with the National Education Policy, which sets the standard starting age for primary education at 6. The ministry did not specify how age verification will be conducted or what documentation will be required.

Timeline and Key Dates

The admission process follows a tight schedule. Applications open on November 21, 2025, and close at an unspecified time on December 5, 2025. The lottery draw is set for December 14, 2025, after which results will be published online. Parents are advised to monitor the official website for updates on result publication and subsequent admission procedures. The DSHE has not yet announced the deadline for completing enrollment for selected students, nor the timeline for filling vacancies from the waiting list. These details are expected to be released alongside the lottery results.

Context: Reducing Pressure on Students

The move to abolish admission tests comes amid growing concern over the mental health burden on young children in Bangladesh's competitive education system. Previous years saw students as young as six sitting for high-stakes exams to secure seats in coveted government schools. The ministry's decision aims to level the playing field, particularly for children from disadvantaged backgrounds who may lack access to test preparation resources. Critics, however, have questioned whether a lottery system can adequately match students to schools that suit their needs. The DSHE has not addressed how the lottery will account for factors such as proximity to home or sibling enrollment preferences, beyond the five-choice limit.

Outlook and Next Steps

With the circular now published, parents and guardians must prepare to submit applications within the two-week window. The DSHE has urged applicants to familiarize themselves with the online portal and ensure they meet age requirements before applying. The success of the lottery system will be closely watched, as it could set a precedent for other levels of education. For now, the ministry has provided no contingency plan if technical glitches occur during the application period or the lottery draw. The coming weeks will test whether Bangladesh's digital infrastructure can handle the volume of applications from millions of families across the country.

The bottom line

• Bangladesh's government schools will use a lottery instead of admission tests for Classes 1–9 in 2026.
• Applications are online only via gsa.teletalk.com.bd from Nov 21 to Dec 5, 2025.
• The lottery draw is on Dec 14, 2025; results will include merit and waiting lists.
• Age is the sole eligibility criterion: 6 years for Class 1, plus one year per subsequent class.
• Parents can choose up to five schools; two shifts at the same school count as two choices.
• The policy aims to reduce student stress and promote equal opportunity, but implementation details remain sparse.