Jail, fine cannot stop pvt coaching, say experts

Teaching students at private coaching classes would be an offence punishable by jail and fine for schoolteachers, says the draft Education Law 2016.  It explains that private tuitions and coaching classes would be shut to improve the quality of education. The draft law says that if any teacher flouts the law, he or she would face up to two six-month jail term or a fine of Tk 2 lakh or both. Experts, however, feel that only jail and fine cannot stop private tuitions and coaching. In their opinion, social awareness is needed, and students, teachers and guardians must change their mentality that private coaching can provide the best results. They underscore the need for quality teachers along with better salaries and social status for teachers. Needless to say, teachers reacted strongly against the draft law, saying that it is not practical to curb tuitions and coaching. They claimed that students rely on tuitions because the time to complete the vast syllabus in the classroom is short and the teacher-student ratio is too high for them to pay full attention to every student. They said they run private coaching classes as their salaries are not sufficient to lead a decent life and to earn bread and butter for their families. The government can punish teachers if they do not teach properly in school, but imposing a law to curb coaching is not logical, they maintained. “If a doctor can practise in different clinics and hospitals, and if someone who is not a teacher in any educational institution can teach at private coaching centres, what’s wrong with us who have much experience in teaching?” said Shafiqul Islam, a mathematics teacher in Motijheel Government Girls’ High School. “Coaching students at home is common for teachers. Besides, it also gives them some financial benefits to run his family decently. If the government bans tuitions, it’ll be like asking a teacher to swim with his hands and legs tied behind him,” he said.
However, teachers like Rafiqul Islam felt otherwise. The teacher of Willes Little Flower School and College said, “There is no alternative to classroom teaching. Private coaching has become an alarming situation. Guardians who desperately run to teachers for private coaching for their wards also have to come forward to stop it.”
However, he also agreed that the cost of living is much higher in big cities and many teachers cannot run their families comfortably with their salaries, which leads them to take up private coaching as an alternative source of income. Rafiqul Islam also admitted that it is difficult to stop tuitions and coaching centres by law since police cannot possibly search every house where coaching centres are run. “Cooperation by all is needed if the government wants to stop it,” he added.
Abeda Khatun, a teacher at Bir Shreshtha Motiur Rahman High School, said, “Students depend on coaching mainly because the syllabus can’t be completed within the given time due to holidays and public examinations. We get only six months to complete the syllabus based on certain methods that many students and even many teachers don’t understand properly.” “Even the teacher-student ratio is very high at 1:60. The syllabus and subjects are vast, and it’s difficult to complete the course within the given time. Hence, students rely on coaching,” she added. Dr AF Serajul Islam Choudhury, professor emeritus, department of English, University of Dhaka, told The Independent, “The law can’t stop the practice of coaching. If ‘coaching’ is stopped, it’ll continue in other names. Corruption will increase.” “Students depend on tuitions because of the huge pressure of examinations. Many of them don’t understand the creative style in which questions are asked; even some teachers don’t follow it. Punishing teachers won’t stop this system,” he said. He underscored the need for classroom teaching by good teachers. He also stressed the importance of good salaries, allowances and social status for teachers to stop such practices. “Only jail and fine can’t stop tuition and coaching. Social awareness is needed,” Md Jalal Uddin, professor at the Institute of Education and Research (IER), University of Dhaka, told The Independent. “Guardians send their children to coaching centres because they think they will get suggestions from the teachers. Such mentality has to change,” he added.
In June 2012, the education ministry had issued a circular to all schools, colleges and madrasas with a guideline to stop unauthorised coaching. The guideline had said teachers at educational institutions would not be allowed to provide private tuition and coaching to students of their own institutions. Teachers were allowed to run private coaching classes at their home, but not to more than 10 students per day and these students would have to be from other institutions. The teachers would have to get prior permission from the head of their institution. However, this guideline is being flouted blatantly. Allegations have been made that guardians have to send their children to coaching centres because the students are told that unless they attend the coaching centre, their exam papers would not be evaluated properly. In such a situation, the government has now proposed punishment to stop such practices. The Ministry of Education has formulated the draft law in line with the recommendations of the National Education Policy 2010. On April 3 this year, the ministry uploaded the draft law on its website www.moedu.gov.bd, seeking public opinion in a prescribed format and requesting opinions or suggestions through e-mails until yesterday. The ministry will go through these opinions before enacting the law. This is the third time the ministry has sought such opinions on the draft law.

Jail, fine cannot stop pvt coaching, say experts

Teaching students at private coaching classes would be an offence punishable by jail and fine for schoolteachers, says the draft Education Law 2016. It explains that private tuitions and coaching classes would be shut to improve the quality of education. The draft law says that if any teacher flouts the law, he or she would face up to two six-month jail term or a fine of Tk 2 lakh or both. Experts, however, feel that only jail and fine cannot stop private tuitions and coaching. In their opinion, social awareness is needed, and students, teachers and guardians must change their mentality that private coaching can provide the best results. They underscore the need for quality teachers along with better salaries and social status for teachers. Needless to say, teachers reacted strongly against the draft law, saying that it is not practical to curb tuitions and coaching. They claimed that students rely on tuitions because the time to complete the vast syllabus in the classroom is short and the teacher-student ratio is too high for them to pay full attention to every student. They said they run private coaching classes as their salaries are not sufficient to lead a decent life and to earn bread and butter for their families. The government can punish teachers if they do not teach properly in school, but imposing a law to curb coaching is not logical, they maintained. If a doctor can practise in different clinics and hospitals, and if someone who is not a teacher in any educational institution can teach at private coaching centres, whats wrong with us who have much experience in teaching? said Shafiqul Islam, a mathematics teacher in Motijheel Government Girls High School. Coaching students at home is common for teachers. Besides, it also gives them some financial benefits to run his family decently. If the government bans tuitions, itll be like asking a teacher to swim with his hands and legs tied behind him, he said. However, teachers like Rafiqul Islam felt otherwise. The teacher of Willes Little Flower School and College said, There is no alternative to classroom teaching. Private coaching has become an alarming situation. Guardians who desperately run to teachers for private coaching for their wards also have to come forward to stop it. However, he also agreed that the cost of living is much higher in big cities and many teachers cannot run their families comfortably with their salaries, which leads them to take up private coaching as an alternative source of income. Rafiqul Islam also admitted that it is difficult to stop tuitions and coaching centres by law since police cannot possibly search every house where coaching centres are run. Cooperation by all is needed if the government wants to stop it, he added. Abeda Khatun, a teacher at Bir Shreshtha Motiur Rahman High School, said, Students depend on coaching mainly because the syllabus cant be completed within the given time due to holidays and public examinations. We get only six months to complete the syllabus based on certain methods that many students and even many teachers dont understand properly. Even the teacher-student ratio is very high at 1:60. The syllabus and subjects are vast, and its difficult to complete the course within the given time. Hence, students rely on coaching, she added. Dr AF Serajul Islam Choudhury, professor emeritus, department of English, University of Dhaka, told The Independent, The law cant stop the practice of coaching. If coaching is stopped, itll continue in other names. Corruption will increase. Students depend on tuitions because of the huge pressure of examinations. Many of them dont understand the creative style in which questions are asked; even some teachers dont follow it. Punishing teachers wont stop this system, he said. He underscored the need for classroom teaching by good teachers. He also stressed the importance of good salaries, allowances and social status for teachers to stop such practices. Only jail and fine cant stop tuition and coaching. Social awareness is needed, Md Jalal Uddin, professor at the Institute of Education and Research (IER), University of Dhaka, told The Independent. Guardians send their children to coaching centres because they think they will get suggestions from the teachers. Such mentality has to change, he added. In June 2012, the education ministry had issued a circular to all schools, colleges and madrasas with a guideline to stop unauthorised coaching. The guideline had said teachers at educational institutions would not be allowed to provide private tuition and coaching to students of their own institutions. Teachers were allowed to run private coaching classes at their home, but not to more than 10 students per day and these students would have to be from other institutions. The teachers would have to get prior permission from the head of their institution. However, this guideline is being flouted blatantly. Allegations have been made that guardians have to send their children to coaching centres because the students are told that unless they attend the coaching centre, their exam papers would not be evaluated properly. In such a situation, the government has now proposed punishment to stop such practices. The Ministry of Education has formulated the draft law in line with the recommendations of the National Education Policy 2010. On April 3 this year, the ministry uploaded the draft law on its website www.moedu.gov.bd, seeking public opinion in a prescribed format and requesting opinions or suggestions through e-mails until yesterday. The ministry will go through these opinions before enacting the law. This is the third time the ministry has sought such opinions on the draft law.