Teachers withdraw programme, announce to return home

Teachers of secondary schools have withdrawn their ongoing programme demanding the nationalisation of secondary level education in front of the national press club in the capital.

They announced the decision following a meeting with former cabinet secretary Kabir bin Anwar, who is actively involved with the politics Awami League, and deputy minister of education Muhibul Hasan Chowdhury on Tuesday night.

Sheikh Kawser Ahmed, the general Secretary of Bangladesh Teachers’ Association, which is leading the movement, said to Prothom Alo on Tuesday night, they were informed in the meeting that they will be included in the two committees that are supposed to form regarding nationalisation. Moreover, the decision to eliminate the discrimination between government and private institutions has been taken in principle. But the prime minister will take her decision about it after the financial matter is settled. In this context the teachers have decided to withdraw their movement. Now they shall return to class.

Awami League’s education and human resource secretary Shamsun Nahar and member of the education subcommittee and former Bangladesh Chhatra League president Badiuzzaman were also present in the meeting.

The teachers on Tuesday started their fast-unto-death by wearing funeral shrouds following their 21-day sit-in in front of the national press club demanding the nationalisation of secondary education.

The programme, which was called by Bangladesh Teachers’ Association, commenced on 11 July. During the programme education minister Dipu Moni met with agitating teachers and leaders of other teachers’ associations on 19 July.

The minister said, “There is no scope of taking any decision regarding this (nationalisation) before the next general election. But to evaluate whether there is any justification of nationalisation and also to overall improvement of education and teachers a decision is taken to form committees.”

Currently there are more than 20,000 educational institutions throughout the country. Among them 684 are public while others are private. There are a total of 10.19 million students including government and private sector and the total number of teachers is about 275,000.

Most of the privately owned educational institutes are under MPO. That means the teachers who are under MPO in these institutes get the basic salary and some allowances from the government.