The recently retired education secretary Nazrul Islam Khan happened to meet the prime minister who wanted to know the number of schools, colleges and madrasas run in the private sector and how much additional money could be required to nationalise these privately-run institutions. The outgoing secretary informed the prime minister that it would require one thousand crore taka (Tk 10 billion) to nationalise the thirty thousand schools, colleges and madrasas run privately in the country. Of course, many of these institutions enjoy MPO (Monthly Payment Order) system of the state. This news appeared in an online newspaper where the outgoing secretary expressed that the prime minister showed her interest to nationalise these institutions but it was followed by some adverse comments regarding nationalisation made by two powerful ministers which has added confusion to this issue.
We can learn the plight of non-government teachers and how they were treated by the state if we just look a little bit back. In the eighties and nineties the hundred per cent salary of the non-government teachers and staff got more importance than nationalising the privately-run educational institutions as it was a matter of their existence as human beings satisfying the fundamental needs. In 1980 the non-government teachers were first enlisted in the national pay scale during the reign of Ziaur Rahman and since then teachers were paid fifty per cent of their salaries every three months to the MPO enlisted teachers. Ershad government (1982-1990) increased it up to seventy per cent and Khaleda Zia government further increased it into eighty per cent. Hasina government in her first tenure (1996-2001) further increased it into ninety per cent and it became hundred per cent during the second tenure of Khaleda government (2001-2006). But this situation did not come to teachers automatically. They had to undergo a lot of movement, strike and hitching.
Non-government education covers the significant portion of our entire educational field though production of this field stands many times higher than government-run educational institutions. We have only 317 government schools and more than six hundred government colleges. Only two per cent educational institutions are run fully by the state though it is the responsibility of the state to give education to all the citizens. It expresses and shows a serious discrimination in the policy of education. Government takes the responsibility of only 317 schools fully. Doesn't it show the hollowness of our education system? What about the rest of the students and teachers? It also says that the state gives importance to education through lip service. Of course, today the situation of privately-run institutions does not prove extremely deplorable which was two decades ago but it is the result of many movements and struggles of teachers for long.
When this field will be nationalised, it will see a sea change in terms of quality, standard, teacher recruitment and uniformity. Today, the teachers of government schools and colleges enjoy not only a secure job but also they are financially solvent and enjoy higher social status. But the teachers of non-government schools and colleges are deprived of these phenomena despite having the same educational qualifications and quality which creates a serious imbalance and non-uniformity in the field of teaching. But this sector supplies the future and deserving citizens of the country. The more well-equipped this sector will be, the more strong future leaders we can produce from our educational institutions. Hence full state patronisation is a must to fulfil that dream.
Teachers in the non-government schools, colleges and madrasas are in a deplorable condition as these are run by the committees concerned which are comprised of non-professional people and they are politically motivated and influenced which influences quality of teaching. In government schools and colleges the recruitment procedure though not fully leak-proof, it is somewhat reasonable. To ensure quality of education the nationalization of education is a must.
When non-government teachers have been deprived of the due state facilities which are enjoyed by the government teachers it means we deliberately commit this mistake. We know, the poor financial condition of the state stands as a barrier to nationalising education. Things actually go otherwise. The teacher leaders have said that the government does not need extra money from the state treasury to nationalise the existing non-government schools and colleges. It is not unknown to us that many state-run organizations and bodies witness huge amount of loss which is met up from the state treasury and the said amount is collected from the citizens whereas education is the most vital element of the country but we always show this plea that money is a great matter to nationalize the education of the country.
It is heard that the government plans to nationalise non-government schools, colleges and madrasas step by step and better institutions located mostly in upazila headquarters will be nationalised first. This practice does not prove sound. Rural educational institutions are poverty stricken. The infrastructures of these institutions are not up to the mark. This hampers the usual activities of teaching-learning situations in these institutions. The financial condition of the rural guardians is still near poverty line with some exceptions. Quality teachers are also not available in these institutions as better performing teachers work either in cities or in sub-urban educational institutions. All these factors deprive the rural students of receiving good education and enjoyable teaching learning situation. But it is their right to enjoy it from the state. So, it is recommended that nationalisation of schools, colleges and madrasas must be started from rural areas if it is done step by step. But it is far better to nationalise all the institutions at a time which will remove the existing non-uniformity and discrimination lying in this sector.
The writer works as an education specialist in BRAC Education Program. Email: [email protected]
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