Coachings to be brought under legal framework

Education Minister Dr ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon has said that coaching centres across the country will be brought under a formal legal framework, stressing that such institutions cannot continue operating without regulatory oversight.

He made the remarks on Wednesday while addressing a meeting with centre secretaries of the Sylhet division ahead of the upcoming Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and equivalent examinations.

“Just as laws apply to the establishment of schools and colleges abroad, coaching centres within the country cannot remain outside legal supervision,” the minister said.

The education minister emphasised the need to reduce students’ dependence on private coaching centres by strengthening academic support within their own institutions.

He urged head teachers to identify weaker students in specific subjects and arrange remedial support within schools. He also suggested that schools could collect a small additional fee to provide honorariums for teachers, which, he said, could help discourage students from seeking external coaching.

Addressing the issue of online education, the minister said he was personally not in favour of online classes but acknowledged that adapting to digital learning has become unavoidable in the current global context.

“Most stakeholders have expressed opposition to online education. I also do not prefer it, but the world is moving in that direction, and we must adapt,” he added.