Most Read

Feedback on "our teachers"

28 August 2005, 18:00 PM
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
By Mohammad Mamun Chowdhury Narinda, Dhaka
28 August 2005, 18:00 PM
This letter is in reference to the 'Our teachers' (Aug 24). Mr. Bahauddin solely blamed the teachers of all sectors for their activities, which is not acceptable to me. Teachers are the builders of the nation but they are deprived of their basic needs. First, I would like to discuss about their salary. The salary structure for teachers from primary to university level is so poor that they can't afford to pay standard house rents in city areas. A primary school teacher in India gets an attractive salary considering the level of livelihood expenses and a university lecturer in Malaysia can afford a high priced branded motor car. As a result, the teachers of primary and high schools and colleges have to think about their extra-earnings by private tuition, which is usually performed after their class duties. The university teachers have no such kind of options like private tuition and further they have to buy high-priced books and journals to present class lectures with their own money.

So, they become engaged in consultancy that is demanded by national and international institutes and agencies as the university teachers have the intelligence for such kind of jobs and usually they do their consultancy after their class times. Yes, few university teachers are involved in politics because of the student politics and negative role of the political parties but it is not true that those teachers play with the future of the students.

It is acceptable in our society that government engineers, doctors, lawyers and other professionals do their private practice and run their organisations ignoring their official duties. But if university teachers do some private practice by engaging in private universities then it is considered as an offence. In this regard, I would like to inform you that in developed countries visiting professor and guest lecturer status are considered as extra-quality of university teachers. Also, the government officials take bribe as their extra-earning, which is not possible for teachers.

Google News LinkFor all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.

So, I would like to request Mr. Bahauddin to think before making any comment on our teachers.