Thousands of students and guardians crowded government and nongovernment schools in the port city for procuring and submitting admission forms.

As the new academic year begins, parents and guardians are having a tough time this year than that of the previous years, to get their wards admitted to the schools of good repute in the port city of Chittagong. There are as many as 20 reputed schools in the city.

There is a heavy rush for admission in the schools as the guardians are naturally eager to see their wards in one of those so that they need not change school till Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinations and even Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinations.

The guardians put rigorous efforts in this period of the year and prepare their children with hectic study to get them admitted into reputed schools in the city.

The students taught by the house tutors, coaching centres and guide books round the year are now counting days to fight for accommodation in the reputed schools.

Though the annual examinations of many schools have just finished, those institutions have already started distributing admission forms.

Admission tests for classes 1 to IX in different government and nongovernment schools have started

from the last week of December and will continue till January.

'Competition for the admission is tougher this year than the previous years as the number of candidates has increased,' a guardian said.

The process of admission was completed by December last year but it might be delayed this year due to Eid-ul-Fitar, Martyred Intellectual Day, Victory Day and Christmas Day holidays.

Meanwhile, admission test for the KG-1 at the Ispahani School and College, a school of good repute, in the city held on December 24 .

Some 1800 children sat in the admission test against 100 seats in both Bangla and English medium. The school sold some 1900 admis-

sion forms, sources said.

Besides, there are around 50 seats in class VI of the school and the admission test will be held this month, sources added.

Admission test at Bangladesh Women Association School, another leading non-government school, would be held today (January 1). The school authorities started distribution of admission forms for KG-1 from November. The school already sold 1200 admission forms against 220 seats.

The admission test in the kindergarten and English medium schools in the port city will be completed by this month.

On the other hand, admission test of nine government schools in

the port city will take place on January 11.

It is estimated that about 15000 admission seekers will sit for the test for class IV, V, VI and IX against 500 seats. As per rule, one applicant could appear at the admission test for one school.

Distribution of admission forms began December 21 and would continue till January 7. The last date for submission of the admission forms is January 8.

Though the students will sit in the tests to get admitted themselves in class IV, V, VI and IX in these schools but there is no rule for admission in other classes.

Dr. Khastagir Government Girls' High School will take admission test only for class IV.

Government Muslim High School is distributing admission forms for class IV, V,VI and IX while Chittagong Government High School for class V only, Nasirabad Girls' High School for class VI, Nasirabad Boys' High School for class V and VI and Collegiate High School for class VI and IX.

The admission test in the government schools for class IV and V will be held on January 11, class VI on January 12 and class IX on January 13.

The admission tests will be begin at 10.30 in the morning everyday and one applicant will get chance to sit for admission test in one school.

As per rule 120 students will have chance to get admitted themselves in each class of the government schools. But the authorities will take admission test only for the vacant seats.

Some seats become vacant following failure of students in the final examinations.

' But the number of this kind of seats is very few. The number of vacant seats in class IX in most of the government schools is not more than 15. All the government schools have two sections and each section has 60 students.

Most of the teachers of the government schools in the port city said the competition for admission would be tougher this year as the number of applicants is more than that of previous year.

The nine government schools are Chittagong Collegiate School, Government Muslim High School, Chittagong Government High School, Hazi Muhammad Mohsin Government High School, Bakolia Government High School, Nasirabad Government Boy's High School, Nasirabad Government Girl's High School, Dr. Khastagir Government Girls High School and Agrabad Government Colony High School.