Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina underscored on Sunday the need for constituting a separate commission to recruit qualified teachers for primary schools as the government has decided to upgrade the posts of teachers, including that of the head teachers, reports UNB.
The Prime Minister came up with the view in her introductory speech at a programme of the high officials of Primary and Mass Education Ministry at the Secretariat.
Sheikh Hasina said there might be a separate wing under the commission to monitor recruitment of teachers.
"Education is the key to development and poverty alleviation as the primary education is the base of all types of education," she said adding that her government was putting emphasis on recruiting qualified teachers and imparting training to them.
The Prime Minister said the government had taken necessary steps to remove all sorts of salary discriminations through a new pay commission.
Considering the importance of primary education, Hasina said, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman nationalised over 36,000 primary schools along with the services of teachers and staff.
She said her government during its 2009-2013 term for the second time in the country's history nationalised over 26,200 primary schools along with the services of over 104,000 teachers.
Due to the government initiative, she said, the enrolment rate in primary schools increased to almost cent per cent and the dropout rate came down to 20.4 per cent in 2013 from 50.5 per cent in 2005.
Mentioning various steps of her government for development of education, Sheikh Hasina said the present government was providing free textbooks up to secondary level to reduce the burden of parents.
"In order to attract the students and guardians to educational institutions, over 12.0 million students are being given stipends from primary to degree levels, while midday meal has also been introduced
to check the dropout rate. The parents of poor students are being given cash incentives," she added.
Hasina laid emphasis on introduction of the midday meal programme through incorporating local administration, guardians, teachers and school management committees.
