Resistance to BRAC-run teacher training project spreads
Saturday, 14 June 2008
A group of concerned teachers, guardians and students in Dhaka have backed demands by primary teachers in the country for cancellation of a government project that gives non-governmental organisation BRAC the responsibility for training of primary school teachers in 20 upazilas of the country, reports bdnews24.com.
Their support was voiced at a views exchange meeting Friday, organised by Samajtantrik Chhatra Front and titled "Implementing the policy of privatisation and commercialisation of education" at Dhaka University.
Vice-president of Shikkha Mancha, or 'Platform for Education, Prof Shahidul Islam said: "There is confusion among many people about the status of NGOs. The confusion has to be removed through this movement."
"NGO has become 'NCO'-the New Colonial Organisation," he added.
President of the Teacher-Employee Unity Federation Principal Qazi Faruque Ahmed said: "The government is taking one after another to destroy education. They are not ensuring the dignity of the teachers."
"They are handing over all service sectors including education and health to the profiteers. A united resistance has to be built up against it," he said.
Concerned guardians present also voiced objection to the government's moves "to hand over the monitoring of primary education to the NGOs."
The government has initiated a pilot project to train the teachers of primary schools in 20 upazilas under BRAC. Government and non-government primary school teachers and their associations have opposed the project in recent weeks.
Samajtantrik Chhatra Front announced Friday that it will submit memoranda to deputy commissioners throughout the country on June 22, and arrange further views exchange programmes across the country for concerned students, guardians and teachers from June 23 to June 30.
Dhaka University Anthropo-logy Professor Helaluddin Khan Arefin, History Professor Mesbah Kamal, Associate Professor Zahid Hasan Mahmud, along with primary school teachers and concerned guardians in Dhaka were among those present.
Their support was voiced at a views exchange meeting Friday, organised by Samajtantrik Chhatra Front and titled "Implementing the policy of privatisation and commercialisation of education" at Dhaka University.
Vice-president of Shikkha Mancha, or 'Platform for Education, Prof Shahidul Islam said: "There is confusion among many people about the status of NGOs. The confusion has to be removed through this movement."
"NGO has become 'NCO'-the New Colonial Organisation," he added.
President of the Teacher-Employee Unity Federation Principal Qazi Faruque Ahmed said: "The government is taking one after another to destroy education. They are not ensuring the dignity of the teachers."
"They are handing over all service sectors including education and health to the profiteers. A united resistance has to be built up against it," he said.
Concerned guardians present also voiced objection to the government's moves "to hand over the monitoring of primary education to the NGOs."
The government has initiated a pilot project to train the teachers of primary schools in 20 upazilas under BRAC. Government and non-government primary school teachers and their associations have opposed the project in recent weeks.
Samajtantrik Chhatra Front announced Friday that it will submit memoranda to deputy commissioners throughout the country on June 22, and arrange further views exchange programmes across the country for concerned students, guardians and teachers from June 23 to June 30.
Dhaka University Anthropo-logy Professor Helaluddin Khan Arefin, History Professor Mesbah Kamal, Associate Professor Zahid Hasan Mahmud, along with primary school teachers and concerned guardians in Dhaka were among those present.