Edn sector marred by agitations, controversies
Question mark over quality of education
HARUN UR RASHID
The countrys education sector in 2015 was plagued by several movements, including the teachers protests centred on the Eighth National Pay Scales, students movement on scrapping value added tax (VAT) from education, and question paper leaks.
Teachers of 37 public universities have waged a movement for eight months to uphold their status and prevent discrepancies in salaries under the Eighth National Pay Scales.
When the draft of the pay scales gave public university teachers short shrift, they first undertook various peaceful protests, including work abstention, human chains and collection of mass signatures, demanding cancellation of the pay scales and announcement of a separate pay scale.
Things got worse when finance minister AMA Muhith said the teachers lacked knowledge. The teachers then gave a 24-hour ultimatum to the minister to withdraw his comment, which he did.
But the teachers were utterly frustrated when the Cabinet approved the Eighth National Pay Scales on September 7, scrapping the selection grade and time scale of the Seventh Pay Scales. The Cabinet, however, also formed a sub-committee to reduce the salary discrepancies among the teachers. The teachers approached different ministries, including the one for education, to achieve their demands. Though the teachers were assured that their demands would be met, nothing happened, and the government issued a gazette of the Eighth National Pay Scales after 99 days.
Feeling deceived, the teachers renewed their agitation on December 20, demanding that the gazette be reviewed. On December 27, they threatened the government that they would stop all activities at universities if their demands were not met by the end of December. A meeting on January 2 will decide the next course of action.
Not only public university teachers, the BCS General Education Association and Primary Teachers Association also opposed the cancellation of the selection grade and time scale.
Though the Primary Teachers Association stopped its agitation, the BCS General Education Association has been continuing with its demands to restore the selection grade and time scale.
The leaders of the BCS General Education Association met education minister Nurul Islam Nahid several times to press home their demand. The minister said the selection grade and time scale could not be restored, they were looking for a different method to realise the demands.
Now these teachers are uncertain whether their demands will be met. However, they have announced fresh programmes, including work abstention, for two days on January 4 and 5. Besides, they will hold another meeting on January 22 to announce the next protest movements.
This year was also marked by a massive agitation by private university students against the governments announcement in the budget session to impose 10 per cent value added tax (VAT) on education at all private universities, medical colleges and engineering colleges.
Private university students under the banner of No Vat on Education took to the streets, saying, Education is our right. Its not a product.
They slammed the government and called the move suicidal for higher education for middle income families and urged the government to withdraw it immediately.
