Milon for regulation to stop teachers' participation in local elections

Education and Primary and Mass Education Minister Dr ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon has said private (non-government) school teachers should not be allowed to take part in local government elections, reports BSS.

"Teachers should focus on teaching. If they also get involved in politics by contesting elections, it will affect their teaching, and the quality of education may decline," he said.

The education minister made the comments while responding to questions from journalists after joining an event at a city hotel on Thursday.

Earlier, the 'GPE System Transformation Grant (STG)' and 'Multiplier Grant' were formally announced. The event was organised jointly by the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), UNESCO, UNICEF, ADB, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education.

He said based on his experience, many teachers contested local government elections, including elections for more than 4,000 chairman posts and 493 Upazila Parishads. As a result, classroom teaching was badly affected because many teachers were busy with election activities instead of teaching.

The Election Commission (EC) should have a regulation so that teachers cannot participate in the local government elections.

"If they want to participate, they should quit their jobs.