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Overhauling the education system
THE road to pro-mulgatio n for a generally acceptable education policy has been a long one. Attempts have been made to
do so in different decades, none of which made it to enactment: the Hamoodur Commission Report in the '60s, Qudrat-i-Khuda report in the early '70s, education policy in the early '80s during H.M. Ershad's regime all failed for one reason or another. The present government promulgated the Education Policy in 2010. This in itself is a major milestone for the government.
There have been some notable successes. In an effort to break the old system of recruitment of teachers in schools, where money power and influence helped secure lucrative positions, the ministry has established “Teachers' pool” at district level. Interested candidates must qualify as 'pool' teachers - if they can pass the examination. So when the schooling system recruits, these 'pool' teachers will be called upon. The introduction of Primary school certificate (P.S.C.) up to Class V: may not have helped urban school going children who are going to good schools. However, the government is funding 'on paper' hundreds of thousands of primary schools across the country. Thanks to P.S.C., now schools have to come up with real results to protect registration. This will help the government to take stock of the real situation in primary education P.S.C. can serve as a yardstick for evaluation. The overhauling in syllabus, i.e. new text books and changing the way examinations are held. The fact that there will be no question bank to speak of in itself is a major improvement. With more emphasis placed on creativity and analytical ability, it will change the way students are educated in
schools. Although the new system has received positive feedback from the bulk of students, even here, there is resistance. Those parents who are wholly committed to attaining the best grades for their children are bound to be unhappy. Teachers too are challenged by the new system that takes away their comfort zone. Teachers' retraining will be a major challenge for the government, but these are being implemented.
2010, the 'Private University Act' was passed in parliament that made operating outer campuses of such educational institutions unlawful. That too is being ignored by most institutions. The case of returning unlawful donations parents have had to cough up to the schooling system at the time of enrolling children has run into hot water. Though the ministry issued explicitly instructions to schools to expedite return of these monies, the
However, besides success with the education policy, the ministry of education finds itself in the soup on a number of other fronts. Of late, a number of directives issued by the ministry are being ignored at all levels. Examples can be found ten-a-penny. For instance the ministry's ban on corporal punishment in schools issued in August, 2010 has not been enforced till date. In September of
various schools have not done so. Indeed the list of irregularities does not stop there. The more blatant disregard for rules and regulations comes to light when one is faced with the fact that some of the most reputed primary and secondary schools in the city have not bothered to take permission of the ministry to open one or several branches of their institutions. This is in direct violation of 'The
Education Board of Secondary and Intermediate Regulation 1974'. Similarly, government regulation on banning private coaching has been prepared but has not been enforced.
Why is this happening? The answer to the question of 'school development fees' that practically every reputed primary and secondary educational institution is forcing down the collective throats of parents is self-explanatory; the presence of ruling members of parliament on school committees automatically gives those institutions the political leverage needed to withstand any directive of the education ministry. From what has been reported in the press, the ministry's own fact-finding committee constituted after the Monipur School scandal found no less than 24 schools guilty of such illegal revenue generation. Given the severe dearth of good schools in the city, the call to parents not to pay up and report in writing of wrongdoing against any school is not going to work. No parent in his or her right mind will risk exposure and the lame excuse that the ministry cannot act on hearsay merely helps to maintain the status quo.
Though laws have been changed to challenge the entrenched 'coaching' system, eradicating an annual muli-million Taka trade is easier said than done. It is interesting to note that the law has irked both parents and teachers alike. A change in mindset will take time since grades are involved. The present system benefits those who can benefit to make the financial commitment involving thousands of Taka a month spent on buying the services of unscrupulous teachers to get a comparative advantage for their children. It is hugely detrimental to the bulk of students who cannot afford these extra fees and are largely left to their own devices since the lessons that they are entitled to in class do not take place.
The writer is Assistant Editor, The Daily Star.