Boards of private educational institutions set to lose ‘authority’ to appoint teachers

Bangladesh government is set to form an independent commission to appoint teachers in private educational institutions from the primary to the higher secondary levels.

The Board of Directors of these institutions will forfeit their ‘authority’ to appoint teachers once this commission is in place.

 

The body would be formed within a month, Education Minister Nurul Islam said on Wednesday.

 

He was briefing the media on the amendment of the Non-Government Teachers Examination, Registration and Certification Rules 2006.

The examinations the Non-Government Teachers' Registration and Certification Authority (NTRCA) currently holds for recruitment would become redundant once the commission to select teachers for private institutions is formed.

The commission would hold tests to select teachers for institutions at the Upazila level, based on the institutions’ demands.

The institutions’ Board of Directors would then only go by a merit list provided by the commission to appoint new teachers.

In most cases at present, influential individuals or local leaders of the ruling Awami League head the Board of Directors of private educational institutions across the country.

They oversee teachers’ recruitment and are allegedly involved in many irregularities.

Minister Nahid at Wednesday’s media call said, “In many cases the appointments are not transparent, there is nepotism and qualified people do not get appointed.

“There are also allegations of financial irregularities.”

He said the scope of ‘nepotism and financial transactions’ in teachers’ recruitment increases when many qualified candidates clear the NTRCA’s exam for a single position.

He added the NTRCA would be abolished after the commission was formed, but candidates who have already obtained the certificate from it would be included in the commission’s merit list.

Under the new system, the authorities would ascertain the demands for teachers in private schools, colleges, and other institutions three months before the year ends.

The commission would then appoint people from a particular region (Upazila based) as teachers in institutions of that area.

If no qualified teacher for a subject is found from the place, someone would be chosen from the adjacent Upazila or the district or from the list of the teachers selected for appointments in institutions of that division, the minister said.

He added that the commission would also take the candidate’s viva to determine their communication skills. “A good person may not turn out to be a good teacher.”

“No one will interfere in the independent commission’s decisions. It will comprise people who are impartial, skilled, and contribute to the education sector,” Nahid said.

“Raising the standard of education is the biggest challenge. That’s why we need quality teachers.”

He said the ministry was ready to complete the process of forming the commission within a month.

Education Secretary Md Nazrul Islam Khan said the NTRCA certificates would be valid for three years after the commission is formed.

So far, 540,329 candidates have obtained the certificates for appointment through 12 exams held by the NTRCA. Of them, 63,042 teachers have already been appointed.

At least 300,000 NTRCA certified candidates are yet to get jobs, the secretary told the press conference.