PM Stresses The Need For A Separate Commission For Appointing Teachers

"Without a separate commission the existing problem of recruiting eligible teacher could not be solved," she said adding the appointment of teachers is a very complex issue as their appointment is like a day-to-day affairs.

She said the matter has already been discussed with the Ministry of Finance. Opinion of the Ministry of Public Administration would be taken to avoid any complexity in this regard, she said while visiting the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education today.

Addressing a meeting with the officials of the ministry at Bangladesh Secretariat here the Prime Minister said the government has increased the salaries and benefits of the teachers and new pay commission would resolve the gaps between different salary scales.

Besides, the salaries and other benefits of the teachers would be fixed calculating the family members of civil servant six instead of four, she said.

The prime minister proposed the ministry to open a pre-primary school in the children's day-care centre of Bangladesh Secretariat to create opportunity for the children to take their pre-primary education from the centre.

Sheikh Hasina also asked the ministry for taking steps for flourishing the talent as well as mental and physical growth of the children in the areas of sports and extra curriculum activities particularly outside Dhaka through arranging inter-school sports and cultural competitions.

The prime minister arrived at the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education as part of her plan to visit every ministry to expedite their activities.

Minister for Primary and Mass Education Advocate Mostafizur Rahman gave the welcome address and while secretary of the ministry Qazi Akhter Hossain and senior officials of the ministry and Prime Minister Office (PMO) were present.

The Prime Minister said the government has already formulated the Non-formal Education Act aimed to making the country fully free from illiteracy and provide education to employed people eager to take education.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said her government has attached highest importance to primary education as primary education is the key to make an educated society to build poverty free Bangladesh.

Realizing the importance of primary education, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had made the primary education compulsory and free of cost even the country's economy was very weak after the independence.

Bangabandhu also made the female education fully free up to secondary level considering its importance and incorporated education as one of the basic rights of the people in the constitution, she said.

Sheikh Hasina said her government nationalized 26,000 primary schools for the second time in the country's history after Bangabandhu who had nationalized all 36,165 primary schools of the country after independence.

She said Awami League government formulated an education policy in 2009 in line with the pathway shown by Bangabandhu through constituting a commission after independence under the stewardship of noted scientist Dr Kudrat- e- Khuda.

In the education policy, she said the government has given importance to primary education and made the religious education mandatory at primary level. "Sans religious education a complete education is not possible. And religious education is also crucial in the life of a person so that none can misguide people in the name of religion," she said.

Highlighting her government's stride to build an illiteracy free country, the Prime Minister said use of mobile phone is contributing a lot to make people literate. Technology is compelling them to be literate. To expedite the process she said the government has introduced Bangla font in the key pad of the mobile phone, she added.

Praising the role of the ministry of primary and mass education to reduce drop-out rate at primary level, the prime minister said about 100 percent boys and girls are now enrolled for primary education. She asked the ministry to motivate well-off people, guardians, local public representatives and communities to promote school feeding programme to check the drop out in schools.

In this regard, the prime minister reminded her government's decision to give tax waive for the donation to be given for education and healthcare services. She said the government has introduced surcharge on mobile phone calls to use the money for education and health sectors.

About the distribution of free textbooks among school students, the prime minister said it's unprecedented all over the world. About the quality of the book, she said the printing and quality of books is improving gradually. She urged the critics of the government to extend their helping hand to the generous programme of the government instead of only criticizing the initiative.

The prime minister said the government has taken steps to give scholarship from Education Assistance Trust Fund to the students up to degree level. A total of 78,70,129 students were given scholarship while 40 lakh stipends are being provided at secondary level. In 2013, she said, a total of 1.33 lakh females were given scholarship while 1.75 lakh male and female students would get scholarship in 2014.

She said mothers of poor student are getting one-time allowances through bank account to imbue poor families to send their children to school. Every new school building has separate toilet facility for girl students, she said.

She asked the officials to keep the cross ventilation facilities and maintain quality of the construction of the schools as well as giving emphasis on training of the teachers. "Training of the teachers is very important to use the technology and cope with the changing world," she said.

-Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS)

Photo: Saiful Islam Kallol