The challenges ahead
Monday, 17 September 2012
Quazi Faruque Ahmed
The movement organised by the students in the then East Pakistan popularly known as 'education movement' culminated on September 17, 1962. The day enters 50 years today. The urge for its recognition as the 'National Education Day' has come from the educationists, teachers and students organisations as well as the cross sections of professionals. The day reminds us of the killings of school student Babul, bus conductor Golam Mostafa and domestic help Waziullah and repression on many others who raised their voices of protest in support of the students. I personally participated in the movement as an activist in the capacity of General Secretary of the Dhaka College Students' Union. The movement was against commercialising of education, discrimination and for scrapping the Shareef Education Commission Report.
Background: Since the establishment of Pakistan, a policy of disparity was methodically pursued towards East Pakistan where 56 per cent of the population lived. Number of educational institutions started to decline and the drop-out rate increased within a short time. Prior to partition of the subcontinent, East Pakistan was much ahead of the then western wing of Pakistan. In 1947-48 the number of primary schools in East Pakistan was 29,633, which came down to 26,000 within a span of 5 years in 1954-55. Soon after the promulgation of martial law in the country in 1958, the military government announced formation of a committee headed by secretary, ministry of education West Pakistan, S M Sharif on December 30, 1958. In the 11 member-commission, 4 educationists were from East Pakistan. They were Dr Momtaj Uddin Ahmed vice chancellor, Rajshahi University, Abdul Haque chairman, Dhaka Secondary Education Board and 2 teachers one each from Dhaka University and the then Dhaka Engineering College. They were Professor Atowar Rahman and Dr Abdur Rashid respectively. The commission submitted its interim report on August 26, 1959.
Some features of the report: Some features of Shareef Commission report published in 1962 provoked students' agitation in East Pakistan. To mention some of the features: (1) the concept of free primary compulsory education is an utopia; (2) Roman Script should be introduced to introduce a Lingua Franca for Pakistan, and for that Arabic should be given priority; (3) Urdu should be made the language of the people of Pakistan; (4) education should not be made available at minimum cost and at a 'cheap price'; (5) investment in education and industrial sectors should be viewed at par with each other; (6) two-years' degree course should be upgraded to three years for improvement of quality of higher education.
Challenges in education sector in Bangladesh: This year September 17 appears as a day of immense importance as it enters 50 years of observance of the day. The slow pace in the implementation of the Education Policy-2010 is also a point of dissatisfaction among the teachers, guardians, educationists and all concerned with education. The Education Policy which recommended establishment of a permanent education commission to review the policy from time to time and incorporate required changes, enactment of Education Law accommodating rules, bye-rules and codes of conduct for teachers, students, guardians and for effective management of educational institutions, introduction of separate pay scale for teachers from primary to university level to attract merit and talent in teaching, teachers' training to ensure professional, moral and ethical accountability of the teachers are yet to be materialised. Moreover, the non-government teachers serving in schools, colleges and technical and vocational institutions are in a movement for their 8-point demand and 7 recommendations for improvement of the quality of education. It may be mentioned here that the non-government educational institutions shoulder 98 per cent burden of education in Bangladesh. To seek a reasonable solution of their difficulties, the teachers in the private institutions under the banner of National Front of Teachers and Employees (NFTE) - a joint platform of 11 national level organisations of teachers and education employees- are now organising a series of programmes countrywide. Meanwhile, the education ministry has invited the NFTE for a dialogue on September 23 next. It seems the teachers and education employees will stick to their programmes in case government fails to concede to their long overdue demands which include their induction in the regular pay roll, promotion, festival bonus and above all, security of jobs and the rights and privileges mentioned in the joint ILO-UNESCO recommendations of 1966 and 1997 concerning the status of teachers.
The Education Day which enters 50 years today and the World Teachers Day which follows it next month on October 5, will indeed provide ample opportunity for the teachers and the employees to move forward with their charter of demands more vigorously. This is one side of the coin. On the other side, the sympathy and support of the guardians of the students will also be helpful if the teachers can convince them through motivation and exchange of views. However a fruitful dialogue vis-a-vis the demands of the teachers and employees will be the deciding factor in resolving the crisis in the education sector where the role the government is most vital. Needles to say, the challenges are many. The vow of this year's Education Day therefore, should be to face the challenges in education with vision and courage from all quarters.
The writer is the chief coordinator
of National Front of Teachers
& Employees.
principalqfahmed@yahoo.com
The movement organised by the students in the then East Pakistan popularly known as 'education movement' culminated on September 17, 1962. The day enters 50 years today. The urge for its recognition as the 'National Education Day' has come from the educationists, teachers and students organisations as well as the cross sections of professionals. The day reminds us of the killings of school student Babul, bus conductor Golam Mostafa and domestic help Waziullah and repression on many others who raised their voices of protest in support of the students. I personally participated in the movement as an activist in the capacity of General Secretary of the Dhaka College Students' Union. The movement was against commercialising of education, discrimination and for scrapping the Shareef Education Commission Report.
Background: Since the establishment of Pakistan, a policy of disparity was methodically pursued towards East Pakistan where 56 per cent of the population lived. Number of educational institutions started to decline and the drop-out rate increased within a short time. Prior to partition of the subcontinent, East Pakistan was much ahead of the then western wing of Pakistan. In 1947-48 the number of primary schools in East Pakistan was 29,633, which came down to 26,000 within a span of 5 years in 1954-55. Soon after the promulgation of martial law in the country in 1958, the military government announced formation of a committee headed by secretary, ministry of education West Pakistan, S M Sharif on December 30, 1958. In the 11 member-commission, 4 educationists were from East Pakistan. They were Dr Momtaj Uddin Ahmed vice chancellor, Rajshahi University, Abdul Haque chairman, Dhaka Secondary Education Board and 2 teachers one each from Dhaka University and the then Dhaka Engineering College. They were Professor Atowar Rahman and Dr Abdur Rashid respectively. The commission submitted its interim report on August 26, 1959.
Some features of the report: Some features of Shareef Commission report published in 1962 provoked students' agitation in East Pakistan. To mention some of the features: (1) the concept of free primary compulsory education is an utopia; (2) Roman Script should be introduced to introduce a Lingua Franca for Pakistan, and for that Arabic should be given priority; (3) Urdu should be made the language of the people of Pakistan; (4) education should not be made available at minimum cost and at a 'cheap price'; (5) investment in education and industrial sectors should be viewed at par with each other; (6) two-years' degree course should be upgraded to three years for improvement of quality of higher education.
Challenges in education sector in Bangladesh: This year September 17 appears as a day of immense importance as it enters 50 years of observance of the day. The slow pace in the implementation of the Education Policy-2010 is also a point of dissatisfaction among the teachers, guardians, educationists and all concerned with education. The Education Policy which recommended establishment of a permanent education commission to review the policy from time to time and incorporate required changes, enactment of Education Law accommodating rules, bye-rules and codes of conduct for teachers, students, guardians and for effective management of educational institutions, introduction of separate pay scale for teachers from primary to university level to attract merit and talent in teaching, teachers' training to ensure professional, moral and ethical accountability of the teachers are yet to be materialised. Moreover, the non-government teachers serving in schools, colleges and technical and vocational institutions are in a movement for their 8-point demand and 7 recommendations for improvement of the quality of education. It may be mentioned here that the non-government educational institutions shoulder 98 per cent burden of education in Bangladesh. To seek a reasonable solution of their difficulties, the teachers in the private institutions under the banner of National Front of Teachers and Employees (NFTE) - a joint platform of 11 national level organisations of teachers and education employees- are now organising a series of programmes countrywide. Meanwhile, the education ministry has invited the NFTE for a dialogue on September 23 next. It seems the teachers and education employees will stick to their programmes in case government fails to concede to their long overdue demands which include their induction in the regular pay roll, promotion, festival bonus and above all, security of jobs and the rights and privileges mentioned in the joint ILO-UNESCO recommendations of 1966 and 1997 concerning the status of teachers.
The Education Day which enters 50 years today and the World Teachers Day which follows it next month on October 5, will indeed provide ample opportunity for the teachers and the employees to move forward with their charter of demands more vigorously. This is one side of the coin. On the other side, the sympathy and support of the guardians of the students will also be helpful if the teachers can convince them through motivation and exchange of views. However a fruitful dialogue vis-a-vis the demands of the teachers and employees will be the deciding factor in resolving the crisis in the education sector where the role the government is most vital. Needles to say, the challenges are many. The vow of this year's Education Day therefore, should be to face the challenges in education with vision and courage from all quarters.
The writer is the chief coordinator
of National Front of Teachers
& Employees.
principalqfahmed@yahoo.com