Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said the government will take the final decision over bringing non-MPO primary schools under the Monthly Pay Order (MPO) system as per the policy during the next national budget, reports UNB from Sangsad Bhaban.

"Since we've promised, we'll do it considering all these things (necessary requirements), enlisting all schools and examining school locations. We'll be able to take the final decision during the next budget," she said.

The Prime Minister said this in Parliament while responding to a supplementary question from Tarikat Federation Chairman

Syed Nazibul Bashar Maizvandhary MP (Chittagong-2) during the PM's question-answer session. Noting that the government nationalises a school or brings it under MPO on the basis of a policy, she said, “We’ll consider all these things, including the number of students, standard of a school, standard of teaching and teachers.”

Sheikh Hasina said the government will examine which schools are eligible to be included under the MPO system. She told the House that she refused even a request from one of her relatives for nationalising a school with only 150 students in Rangpur.

“There shall be a logical ground [to nationalise a school],” she said, adding that she cannot commit a big injustice nationalizing a school at the request of a relative. Hasina said her government has taken various steps to improve the standard of education giving the highest importance to it.