The Bangladesh Teachers' Association has been demanding nationalisation of all private secondary schools for sometime, according to its leaders. From July 11, the association has been holding a sit-in protest before the National Press Club. But this time it has decided to go on a hard line. In a written speech of the president read out by its general secretary at a press conference there, the teachers association has given a call to the teachers of all private secondary schools to lock classrooms and join the non-stop sit-in demonstration before the National Press Club until their demand is realised.
What is remarkable is that the non-government secondary school teachers have, unlike the charters of demands usually prepared in such cases, not mentioned several points of demand. It seems they are keen on 'nationalisation' alone, which essentially means that non-government secondary educational institutions are recognised as government schools. The government, understandably, is hardly ready to take over the responsibility of the 16,000 secondary schools, accounting for 92 per cent of total secondary enrolment and 7,600 madrashas covering almost the total enrolment in that stream. The English medium schools of the comparable level are altogether a different proposition.
Currently, the government support is 90 per cent of the total salary package for non-government secondary educational institutions. But an addition of 10 per cent more from the government exchequer will still not bring them on a par with their peers in the government high schools. There is a wide gap between comparable scales and other benefits between government and non-government schools.
As mentioned in the written speech of the president, teachers of non-government schools receive only 25 per cent festival bonus, Tk 1,000 for house rent and Tk 500 as a medical allowance. Similarly, the headmaster of a non-government high school is entitled to draw salary at a lower grade than that of his/her counterpart of a government high school. There are other discriminations within the salary structure of the non-government schools involving assistant headmaster and senior teachers.
Accepted that such discriminations are there. Also ideally, all teachers of the same rank and qualifications should receive equal emoluments. More importantly, all high schools should have a more or less uniform standard of teaching. Once there was a time when a few government high schools and colleges boasted unrivalled standard so much so that one or two captured the maximum numbers of top 20 positions in the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinations or Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinations.
Gone are those days. Now is the time of privatisation and commercialisation of education in a regime of free market economy. In the race for top performance in both examinations, some efficiently and privately run schools and colleges are excelling. Significantly, in tertiary education it is yet to happen. The top public universities still have a lead by miles.
Now the question is, if the high performers at the secondary or higher secondary level will ever ask for a government takeover. The answer is definitely a big 'NO'. The reason is quite simple. They are not at all dependent on government monthly pay order (MPO) for running their institutions. Unfortunately, the laggard in the private sector can neither afford qualified teachers nor the many facilities needed for standard education. The greatest constraint of all is, of course the below quality teachers. In an open competition, many would not have ever made it to the teaching profession.
Now that they are in the profession, they are demanding the same status and financial rewards as those of the teachers who had to duly qualify---unless some adopted dubious means--- for the teaching job. This is perhaps too much. However, teachers lacking in quality and skills are not to blame. It is the government's reluctance to investment enough money in education. Recruitment of qualified teachers in the first place with a decent salary package could have made a difference in the country's education system. This has not happened nor is there any sign to make things better by raising budgetary allocation. The crux of the problem lies there.
© 2024 - All Rights with The Financial Express
