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Crisis in the education sector

16 July 2006, 18:00 PM
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
By Dr. A. T. Rafiqur Rahman Professor, City University of New York, USA
16 July 2006, 18:00 PM
. PHOTO: AFP
Following some successes in 'Andolans' by different groups over their accumulated grievances early in the year, the teachers and employees of all levels of schools joined in phases the election year feast of strikes, marches and fast unto death and even the threat of self-immolations to realise their demands. The participants in the first phase, non-government primary school teachers, received some response to their demands for which the government provided funds in the recently passed budget. However the latter groups of strikers from the non-government secondary and higher secondary schools and colleges are now faced with a government stand that since the budget has already been passed for next year, it cannot find another 750 crore taka to meet their main demand of 100 percent basic salary support from government sources.

While the impasse continues with closure of schools, and teachers and employees on the street, the students, their parents and the nation watch a sad spectacle of the most important nation-building sector in chaos and under seize. It is tragic that such restlessness and dislocations are occurring at a time when gradual improvements in high school education are taking place as reflected in SSC results and the students in general are moving out from politics to pay more attention to their studies. The timing and magnitude of such disruptions may condemn us as a nation destined to perpetual instability and fighting by one group or another.

But a closer analysis would show that our problems are basically systemic, reflecting our 'Andolan' dominated policies of resolving disputes and problems. The demands and response system in our governance is dominated by our inaction till the grievances and problems are accumulated and the sufferers join the streets and make the operation of their sector no longer viable. Our policy makers wait till 'Andolans' become politically costly for them, while the parties suffer and the nation loses.

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One-way maybe to temporarily deal with the problem and minimize the sufferings is for BNP and the AL to develop and pledge a common position on the grievances of striking teachers and staff. But the long term solution to these kind of grievances from various sectors is first to radically change our pro 'Andolan' decision making process to pro-dialogue and compromise solutions and secondly devise a system of grievance resolution more appropriate to stability and continuity in the essential sectors of society.

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The ongoing strike of the schoolteachers of the non-government primary schools reflects the dismal state of our education sector. The government bigwigs are never tired of talking about the importance of education, the nobility of the teaching profession and so on. However they cannot expect the teachers of primary schools to carry on their responsibilities on a meagre salary, which is even below the subsistence level. With the price of the essentials soaring higher and higher, a teacher of a non- government school can hardly make both ends met.

It is really unfortunate that the teachers are forced to take to the streets, locking the doors of their classrooms, which is their proper place. Certainly, it is the greater interest of the future of the country, which will suffer because of the current imbroglio. As a developing nation we cannot afford to leave the education sector in such a limbo.

We hope that the concerned authority will accept the demands of the teachers immediately.

Zabed Wali,Chittagong