Let there be proper evaluation of MPO

Finance Minister AMA Muhith has said that the present government is not going to extend the MPO (monthly payment order) facilities. He said no new school will be brought under the scheme as the system has been destroying the secondary school system. According to his statement, a large number of MPO-listed institutes are fake in the country.
Before going to take a final decision on this issue, it is expected that the authorities concerned will think over the matter seriously and do the needful properly. It is to be seen as to whether such a decision might bring positive impact on the government and the education system. If this decision is implemented, education system will be divided into two parts - haves and have-nots. Some will be benefited and the rest will be deprived for ever. This is not the expectation of the nation.                                                                         
The MPO system was introduced less than two decades ago. Before introducing it, the educational institutions used to run on their own earnings. Main source of income was students' tuition fees that covered teachers' remuneration and other expenses. Quality of education was not inferior to what it is today. So far our knowledge goes, not a single institution has so far been MPO-listed without the  recommendation of the local member of parliament (MP). If the government feels, the system was wrong then, who should be blamed for that? The students and citizens are obviously innocent in this case. Everybody wants proper and timely education and it is the government's responsibility to provide it to our children.
There might be MPO-listed fake institutes in the country as stated by the Finance Minister. At the same time, there are very efficient institutes that are not MPO-listed in the last 15 to 20 years. Some of those institutes are providing excellent education and producing talents with proper knowledge of English, Mathematics, Science and ICT.  If new MPO listing is stopped, all the educational institutions have to be run with their own incomes as they used to do before 1989. There are hundreds of dedicated people who want to serve the nation providing money and sharing knowledge and skills. They need just an environment for work. The MPO system has to be properly evaluated before it is scrapped.
Professor Lutfor Rahman is the founder of Khairunnessa Technical School and College, village                  and P.O. -Ikrail-8130,                  Alfadanga, Faridpur. [email protected]