The World Teachers’ day is being observed today In Bangladesh along with the rest of the world. World Teachers’ Day marks the anniversary of the adoption of the 1966 ILO/Unesco recommendation concerning the status of teachers. This recommendation sets benchmarks regarding the rights and responsibilities of teachers and standards for their initial preparation and further education, recruitment, employment, and teaching and learning conditions.
Every year, Bangladesh also celebrates World Teachers’ Day. Events are held, teachers are remembered for their contribution to society. Lots of promises are made. Bangladesh endorses the international ideas and efforts devised in the international level. In the primary level female candidates’ qualification for teacher recruitment has been upgraded. In the secondary level non-government educational institutions teacher recruitment has been placed on the Non-Government Teacher Registration Certification Authority (NTRCA). But a recent loophole has been identified which needs to be addressed. The ministry concerned and the teachers need to take a renewed vow to bury the ills prevailing in the field of education. Morality and quality must go hand in hand with the teachers otherwise they will not be able to guide the future generation to the golden path of development and light.
Teachers in the both public and private sector complain of the lack of merit in their promotions, the absence of a clear career path as well as poor working conditions. Many teachers who work in the government run are deprived of basic facilities and have little incentive to do better. The working conditions of most schools are poor. Infrastructure is crumbling. There is theft and misuse of whatever government facilities are available. Those who try and do better are pushed down. We need to improve the working conditions of teachers. Not only should their salaries be set higher but there should be standardisation of work pay and allowances for both the private and public sector.
There is a lot of money in education and it is wrong to believe that the sector cannot afford quality. One of the biggest challenges for Bangladesh is the lack of good teachers. But we can attract competent people to teaching if we pay well and introduce a system which rewards those who deserve it.
