Education sector needs more attention

Dr. Syed Nesar Ahmad Rumy :

After July uprising the situation in the education institutions is still volatile. Students are yet to be attentive to their studies and education. Student organisations are not coming to a consensus for the right timing of the student unions’ elections. The traditional students’ organizations want to delay the holding of elections but it seems Anti-discriminatory student front wants student union elections as early as possible. Making adjustment or consensus on this is a big issue for different university authorities. Aftermath of July uprising the Anti-discriminatory students have established strongholds in different dormitories of the universities in Bangladesh. Maybe, the traditional student organizations are afraid of getting unsuccessful in the forthcoming union elections. Actually a big change has occurred in the mindset of the general students. As a result of this consequences those who are conducive force of national political parties, cannot draw much attention of the general students. So it appears that it is a big problem for those student organizations. So, maybe they want more time to consolidate their positions in the different dormitories in the universities. And in this situation timing of students’ union elections is an unresolved issue to the university authorities.
Moreover, the routine work of the university authorities does not function well. Still now, some says, a considerable number of persons who were lenient to the former government are very much active in the university offices and departments. Reports have also been published in different national dailies on this situation. Recently syndicate meeting of Barishal University has come to a stalemate situation for the protest of the general students. It has been reported in the national dailies and the general students have dismantled the main gate of VC’s residence of Barishal University as they said some conducive instrumental characters of the former government were present in the meeting.
This year secondary and higher secondary education have got a big push as there prevails various anomalies. Every year students of newly promoted classes were used to get books in the first week of January. But this year it did not happen. Even in the month of February many students do not get full-set of their books. Though, the education ministry has tried their best to supply all sets as early as possible. So, a large number of students have lost their valuable times at the outset of their education year.
After July uprising a group of higher secondary students went to Bangladesh Secretariat to place their demand for not appearing the rest of the HSC exams which were not held as per schedule for causing July uprising. In that consequence, education ministry had to accept the demand of the students. Though, the students were happy for this declaration but in the long this decision will prove harmful for the students.
Actually secondary education is the formative phase of a student to make his/her career. But this decision of not to appear in the exams will make a permanent blow to their careers as they passed the HSC without appearing in the examinations. As we feel, the secondary education is the backbone of a student to make their career but teachers of private schools of secondary level who teach the students are the most neglected persons in the education sector. Teachers’ career is full of unsecured and in a state of uncertainty. Their pension fund and welfare fund money do not reach them timely. After retirement they have to wait 4/5 years to get that money. Within this interim period the life of a non-government retired teacher will turn miserable and in this time they have no place to go. At this stage of life they need money for treatments and other social and religious responsibilities, rituals etc. But in reality they have to wait long time to get their money. The concerned authority should resolve this issue as quickly as possible.
But in the case of government primary school teachers, life and career are more secured as it is a total pensionable service. Generally, there are no transfers of those teachers and transfer is very much unusual matter there. But if it happens, they are generally transferred within the concerned Upazila. So, it is very much possible in most cases to join work in the new place without shifting their residence. That is why, considering all sides government primary teaching is very much lucrative profession. But the non-government primary teachers are as like as the teachers of non-government secondary school teachers.
In our country primary education follows the four, different paths;
a. Government primary schools;
b. Non-government primary schools;
c. Kindergarten;
d. Madrasa education;
In higher education there are many anomalies. Before our independence, there were only six universities in the country. Now the total number of public and private universities is close to 150. It is a big leap-forward. But the situation is that anyone can question the standard of education of those newly formed most of the institutions. University is a very big institution. Allowing so many private universities, we are making it small and insignificant. It seems, research is not getting priority in those institutions. In general they only produce graduates without any substantive aims.
So this is the environment of education sector in short. We see it goes but does not function well and it also goes without definite goals. To create calmness and stable situation in the education sector our policymakers should address the issues discussed in this write-up. Bangladesh may be a small country in size but it has a large population of about 180 millions. We must try to create such an environment so that we can get right direction for our nation building. Otherwise, standard education, nation-building might hamper in the forthcoming days.

(The writer is a former
civil servant).