Staff Reporter :
The Bangladesh Government Secondary Teachers’ Association (BASMASIS) has congratulated the interim government for establishing an independent Directorate of Secondary Education.
In a press release issued on Wednesday, BASMASIS Chief Coordinator Rebeka Sultana and Coordinator Abdus Salam stated that the establishment of a separate Directorate of Secondary Education marks an important step toward fulfilling the long-cherished expectations of teachers, students, parents, and the conscious citizens of the country.
They said this timely and visionary initiative would play a vital role in enhancing the quality of secondary education and shaping the future of students. At the same time, it would make the administrative structure of educational services more organized and effective. “We firmly believe this is a forward-looking step toward ensuring quality education for all. We are committed to advancing the collective and positive effort to establish a fair policy and administrative framework in all areas of education-from primary to higher levels-for the welfare of the nation and its people,” the statement added.
The teacher leaders further expressed hope that the remaining tasks for implementing the independent Directorate of Secondary Education would be completed soon. “On behalf of the large family of government secondary education, we extend our sincere gratitude and congratulations to the Ministry of Education and all policymakers, officials, and stakeholders involved in achieving this goal,” the statement read.
BASMASIS also expressed gratitude by noting that the proposal for establishing separate Directorate of Secondary Education and Directorate of Higher Education and Research had been discussed for years. It was first recommended in the comprehensive report of the Moniruzzaman Miah Education Commission in 2003, later incorporated into the National Education Policy 2010, and subsequently supported by the College Education Development Project (CEDP) under the Ministry of Education through national workshops with education stakeholders.
Based on these discussions and recommendations, the BIAM Foundation Research and Consultancy Service Center (BFRCSC) had advised forming two distinct directorates-Secondary Education Directorate and Higher Education and Research Directorate-to replace the existing unified administrative structure.
Following the directive issued by the Honorable Chief Adviser during the Secretaries’ Meeting on September 4, 2024, instructing all ministries and divisions to formulate and implement necessary reform plans, the Secondary and Higher Education Division, in line with its time-bound reform plan submitted on November 28, 2014, and the Public Administration Reform Commission’s report of January 2025, proposed key recommendations for reforming Bangladesh’s education service structure.
In light of these recommendations, the government has now divided the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education into two separate entities-the Directorate of Secondary Education and the Directorate of College Education.
“We express our heartfelt congratulations and deep gratitude to the Honorable Chief Adviser, the Honorable Education Adviser, and the Honorable Secretary of the Secondary and Higher Education Division of the Ministry of Education for this initiative taken to improve the quality of secondary education,” the statement added.
Teacher leader Tanvir Ahmed reiterated that the establishment of an independent Directorate of Secondary Education represents a major milestone in meeting the long-awaited expectations of teachers, students, parents, and conscious citizens. “This timely and visionary step will significantly contribute to improving the quality of secondary education and shaping the future of students. It will also make the administrative structure of education services more organized and efficient. We are committed to moving forward together with a positive spirit to build a fair and effective education system across all levels-from primary to higher education-for the welfare of the nation and its people,” he said.
He further expressed hope that the remaining work for implementing the independent directorate would be completed soon and extended profound gratitude to all policymakers, officials, and stakeholders of the Ministry of Education involved in this process.
