Unauthorised kindergarten (KG) schools have mushroomed across the country. But the primary and mass education ministry has failed to take any action against such schools, allegedly due to the negligence of the field administration. Around five months ago, the primary and mass education ministry formed around 559 taskforces across the country to collect information about these 70,000-odd unauthorised KG schools in order to take action against these. But it did not get any response from the taskforce. It has now sought the help of the public administration ministry.
The primary and mass education ministry on Sunday wrote to the senior secretary of the public administration ministry, requesting him to direct officers of the field administration to undertake the task.
“We have failed to act against the KG schools as we have not got any field report from the taskforce. Comprising the divisional commissioner, deputy commissioner, and upazila nirbahi officer (UNO), the taskforce is yet to send any report to the ministry,” Nazrul Islam Khan, additional secretary of the primary and mass education ministry, told The Independent.
“We have requested the senior secretary of the public administration ministry to direct the field administration to send us the required information as early as possible,” he added.
The ministry's letter stated: “A task force was formed on August 16 last year after a circular was issued to assess the non-government (both Bangla and English) and KG schools following the directives of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The taskforce was directed to collect the information and send its recommendations to the ministry within a month.”
“Though repeated requests were made, no recommendation came to the ministry. The divisional commissioner, deputy commissioner and UNO were again urged on November 1, but no information was sent. We request them again to send the aforesaid information,” it said. A source in the primary and mass education ministry said, “Most KG schools have not been set up legally. We want to know the number of such schools, their curriculum, whether they use government books to teach students, the qualification of teachers, their recruitment process, their salaries, source of the money for setting up and running such schools, sectors of expenditure, whether they follow government rules while spending, and the like.” In all, 559 five-member taskforces were formed across 487 upazilas, 64 districts and eight divisions. The UNO-led taskforce would collect information about the KG schools in upazilas. The deputy
they use government books to teach students, the qualification of teachers, their recruitment process, their salaries, source of the money for setting up and running such schools, sectors of expenditure, whether they follow government rules while spending, and the like.”
In all, 559 five-member taskforces were formed across 487 upazilas, 64 districts and eight divisions. The UNO-led taskforce would collect information about the KG schools in upazilas. The deputy commissioner would collect information about the schools in the district towns and areas outside upazilas, while the divisional commissioner would collect information about the schools in metropolitan areas.
Sources in the Directorate of Primary Education (DPE) said KG schools are running their activities without following any rules. School authorities often pile up extra books on students after taking bribes from publishers.
Most of the teachers of these schools do not have the minimum qualification to teach, and they do not even have the required training, the sources added.
They said that such schools are run by the owners and their relatives. These schools charge extra tuition fees from students. But the quality of education is always questionable. In addition, the teachers and staff get meagre salaries, they added. The taskforces were formed after such allegations emerged. The ministry decided to shut down the unauthorised schools. In 2011, the government had formulated a guideline for the registration of such schools, but only a few schools came for registration. According to different KG school associations, there are about 70,000 such schools across the country in which lakhs of students study. But the government has no control over them. The additional secretary of the primary and mass education ministry, Nazrul Islam Khan, said: “There should be no unregistered KG schools. As we have failed in the first stage to collect information about the schools, we are now using the formal government mechanism.” “When we get recommendations from the administration, we will work accordingly and determine the necessity of such schools. According to the National Education Policy 2010, such schools have to be registered with the authorities in compliance with the set rules,” he added.