Retired Military Officers: A Strategic Resource for Education

Recently, the Honourable Education Minister, while discussing on the educational prospect of Bangladesh, raised a thought-provoking issue, the possibility of engaging qualified retired military officers in the educational development.

The topic continued to linger in my mind after the conversation was over. Perhaps it is time to study the possibility of utilising one of our most precious human resources in a country which is seeking to establish a knowledge-based and values-driven society.

Each year, many military officers retire who remain physically and mentally fit, they are professionally dedicated, intellectually capable, and have desire to contribute more for the nation.

The service age for a Major is approximately 50 years, a Lieutenant Colonel 51, a Colonel 53 and a Brigadier General 54. For most professionals, these years represent the peak of experience, judgment and leadership capability rather than the decline of productivity.

The country has invested immensely in developing these officers’ capabilities. They are adequately trained to gain in-depth knowledge of leadership, management, planning, responses to crisis, organisational development, resource management etc.

Most of them have postgraduate degrees from prestigious national and international universities.

However, after they retire, their hard-earned skills and knowledge acquired remain underutilised.

At the same time, we are still seeking to improve the quality of education, developing institutional governance, promoting discipline and students’ character.

Although considerable improvements are made to make education more accessible, there are still concerns about values-based education and the development of responsible citizenship.

This raises an important question: why not utilise these valuable assets – the retired military officers?
The proposal is not made from an abstract perspective. The success of Army-administered education institutions all over the country is already a compelling example of excellence.

These institutions have gained public confidence with their academic excellence, maintenance of discipline, efficient administration, and all-round development of the students.

Guardians perceive these institutions as providers of good quality education with efficient administration. The positive outcome of these institutions proves that military leadership and educational excellence can complement one another.

Moreover, a number of military officers are serving now in the educational institutions under the Ministry of Education on deputation.

Their contributions have also demonstrated the importance of military professionalism in educational governance and institutional development.

If such success can be achieved by a limited number of serving officers, imagine the impact that could be achieved through the systematic incorporation of retired Army officers nationwide.

A nation becomes stronger when it continues to utilise the wisdom of their leaders long after their formal service ends. A greatly overlooked aspect of retirement is the loss of knowledge that is gained over time from the institutional setup.

The country not only loses an employee when an army officer retires between the ages of 50 and 54, but also loses a patriot possessing precious leadership experience, management skills, strategic foresight, mentoring ability and organisational wisdom.

The proposition, therefore, is not to replace professional educationalists. Educators will, as usual, remain as the core of education. The proposal is about incorporating leadership, management, organisational discipline, strategic planning, and mentoring skills that retired military officers acquired in abundance.

Presently, in educational institutions, there is a huge need for better governance, accountability, resource utilisation, student mentorship, vis-a-vis necessity of incorporation of teaching related to development of moral values, leadership and character development.

These are areas where retired military officers can contribute as principals, administrators, registrars, directors of student affairs, quality assurance experts, mentors, trainers and where academically qualified, as teachers.

Perhaps, the strongest argument lies in the growing concern regarding character formation among young people. Social harmony cannot be guaranteed only by economic development.

A country needs its citizens to be honest, disciplined, responsible, compassionate and willing to do what is best for humanity. Concerns have been raised by many educators and parents regarding declining respect for truthfulness, responsibility, discipline, civic duty and social commitment. Although families are the primary school of values, educational institutions are also a very important factor in the development of students’ character.

The military profession cultivates these qualities precisely through decades of practice and service. These are not just professional requirements, but their life principles. These role models can be a great source of learning for students just as books can be.

Exposure of dedicated leaders who demonstrate integrity, accountability, patriotism and service before self can have a long-term effect on young mind. Such influence can be invaluable when the nation seeks not only skilled graduates but also responsible citizens.

If the idea is evaluated as a post-retirement employment initiative; perhaps that would be a narrow interpretation. The essence of this proposal is for the more effective use of national human resources.

Bangladesh has already invested substantially on the education and development of military officers. Providing them with an opportunity to participate in service to the nation in academia for the development of next generation would be the best return on the investment.

The advantages would be far-reaching beyond the personnel involved. Entrusted educational institutions would have experienced leaders. Students would have mentors and role models. Society would be better served with citizens possessing compelling values and leadership.

The Government may review the national framework of using qualified retired military officers in educational institutions. The initiative should be merit-based, transparent and in line with the needs of the institution.

Appropriate orientation and pedagogic training can lead to effective transition from military service to education and learning environments. The goal is to make education more effective with leadership/management skills that are tested.

The future of our country will not be decided by the number of graduates it produces rather than the quality of citizens it nurtures. If we desire to build a knowledge-based society, with ethics and responsibility, and social consciousness, we need to utilise every available national resource that can help achieve the designed goal.

The discussion initiated by the Honourable Education Minister is timely and important. It highlights an opportunity that deserves careful consideration. It challenges us to think differently about retirement as an end, or a start to a new path of national contribution.

The officers who once dedicated their lives to ensure the safety of the nation may now have another mission before them: to educate, inspire and shape the future generation of Bangladesh. The initiative may be the most effective example of transforming experiences into national progress, if implemented out rightly. It is because a nation advances not only by creating talent but also by ensuring that wisdom never goes to waste. The knowledge, experience and wisdom of our people should be utilized effectively for our country’s benefit.

(The author, Major General
Md Mahbub-ul Alam, is the Vice Chancellor of Bangladesh University of Professionals, Dhaka.)