The New Nation - Internet Edition

Dr. Kazi Enamul Hoque

Recently I have finished my Ph.D from the Universiti Sains Malaysia-a second top research-based public university in Malaysia. This is unusual in our country to have Ph.D being a school teacher. Many highly educated people have raised their eye-brow when they came to know I was having Ph.D degree. So far I went through the record; I am the first who had this degree abroad in the field of Educational Management and Leadership. I had the scholarship under the scheme of teaching assistance for which I had to teach the post graduate students. It is highly unexpected, for a school teacher to teach the post graduate students of private university let alone public in Bangladesh. For instance, recently I tried to be a 'part time lecturer' in a private university in Bangladesh but I was refused due to having experience as a school teacher.

Sorry, this writing is not for letting you know my achievement. This is a small effort to inspire my colleagues (School Teachers) to open their eyes and best use the three years study leave for their higher education abroad. School teachers (ST) can have their M.Eds and Ph.Ds abroad and be the part of school level policy makers and curriculum experts. If we look around, say in Malaysia and neighboring country India, it is not unusual to find some Ph.D holders in every secondary and even primary school. But in our country, it seems taboo for secondary and primary school teachers. Even most of the school teachers do not know they have the provision of having three years study leave. The policy makers (PM) also deliberately take no step to create their (ST) awareness for higher study. Now question arises why they (PM) are interested to keep the teachers in dark.

School teachers are very much experienced in field level education. They know very well what type of policy and curriculum can fulfill the requirement of stakeholders and societal people. But they (ST) have no representation in educational policy-making and curriculum development. This is because they have no expertise in that particular field. Only University Teachers (UT) and Civil Servants (CS) have the expertise though they have no practical experience in field level education. And it is like a cycle. This is because they (CS and UT) enjoy all sorts of government opportunities to be expert in their fields. In other words the government has got them expert with all of monetary and logical supports. Though it should be more result-oriented if school teachers are given support to be expert, it is unknown why no attention is put to them.

It was mentioned above about the study leave for school teachers. In accordance with the act of 1973 (Board Regulation), school teachers get three years 'Study Leave" with one year full pay, one year half pay and the rest without pay. But university teachers are allowed 5 years study leave with full pay. Not only that, university also pays tuition fees for the candidate. Why is this discrimination? Is it not the indirect discouraging for the school teachers? Is it possible for school teachers to finish Ph.D by three years that takes five years for university teachers? Is there any special quota for school teachers to have the scholarship for higher education? Are the policy makers interested to include school teachers in realistic policy making and curriculum development for the greater interest of the nation? Probably not. Then what is their interest? It should mention that the nation is still deprived of having an effective educational policy and living curriculum.

There are hundreds of projects in educational sector. Thousands and million dollars are there. If school teachers start to have Ph.D and become specialist in different areas then they (ST) will be more preferred as consultants because of their practical and field level experience. But school teachers do not know they have the potentiality to be expert if they are supported by the government. If the policy-makers had good intention, they could preserve some scholarship for them (ST) to have their Ph.Ds or M.Eds abroad. I have met many school teachers from different countries (Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Oman, Jordan etc.) to have their Ph.Ds and M.Eds by full-pledged government support. So far I know, in our country, the government does not have such type of allocation. Sometimes they (PM) encourage them (ST) to undergo some sort of short training (domestic) to improve their quality. To my mind, it has surface and deeper meaning. In surface meaning, they want to show how serious they are to raise teacher's quality. In deeper meaning, it is a crocodile-tear to take the lion share of the training allocation in guise of being expert. It is the irony for school teachers to confine themselves in short training mostly limited in cities funded by different government, non-government or international agencies. Though the output is negligible, the trainers (experts) are satisfied with their attractive packages. Thus the school teachers are the victims of ill politics of bureaucracy. Another irony is that these experts often blame the teachers not to be enough knowledgeable. This is also another technique to make them (ST) mentally weak. Australian cricketers often play this trick to excite the rivals. Then he (ST) starts to think, "Oh God, I am so worse, I have not enough knowledge to be a teacher. Those policy-makers are storehouse of knowledge". Thus they (ST) loose their confidence on themselves and never dare to think they can contribute to educational policy making and curriculum development. This is exactly they (PM) want and they are winning because of lacking foresightedness of school teachers.

I call upon school teachers to wake up and stand back against all sorts of conspiracies. Teachers associations should not confine themselves only to ensure monetary benefits also to work for gaining at least 200 scholarships every year for school teachers for higher study in foreign universities. When school teachers will interact with foreign teachers, it will broaden their outlook. They will learn how to explore and generate knowledge. Then they will be more effective in the classroom and will be contributing to producing the global standard students. Only global standard teachers can make the world class manpower and school teachers should have the priority to achieve this societal demand. When they (ST) will raise voice for scholarship quota, they will be blamed to be weak in English or will be shown some other excuses to stop them or make them mentally weak. Remember dear colleagues, do not give up. I met some renowned university teachers from Bangladesh having Ph.D but could not speak English at the beginning at all. They have learnt gradually and become fluent within a year or two. It is high time for school teachers to move for gaining scholarship quota and increase the duration of study leave for five years. There is no alternative to increase own quality for long lasting development. Higher study can ensure teachers' quality and make them knowledgeable. Then they will be placed in policy making. In regards social status, when there will be enough Ph.D holders at school level, they (ST) will be cared and honoured. Also remember, all other will try to let you down or tempt you with salary increasing or other benefit to draw back your attention otherwise. But teachers should not compromise of raising quality with higher study abroad by government support.

For my colleagues' awareness I like to cite some examples how school teachers are look down upon. I went for permission to use the library of National Institute of Educational Administration and Management (NIEAM) for my research work. I wanted to see the Director General but I was asked to see the Director (Research) with application. I followed the procedures and submitted the application to his Private Secretary (P.S). His P.S went in with the application and came back with refusal result. The P.S informed me that school teachers have no access in the library. Though I mentioned I was a Ph.D student and needed to look for whether there was any research work in my respective areas, the Director never felt to ask me before denial my access in the library. I was astonished and never thought of such constraint of accessing in the library of civilized society. Recently I have joined in my school after finishing my Ph.D. My school principal was very happy and introduced me one day with the Chairman of SMC. But the Chairman pretended not to hear anything. I offered my salam as usual and went back to teachers' room. After sometime the chairman went to the teachers room and by the by wanted to know from the principal whether I can compose Bangla letter. I expressed my sorrow and gently replied that I could not. Then he commented,"What sort of Ph.D he has done, he does not know how to type Bangla". That was his opening statement about me! He measures Ph.D degree with the standard of Bangla typing skill! What a silly! He was supposed to hail me but I do not know why he was so furious. Three years before I left the school with study leave. He has been chairman for 6 months and his behaviour surely made me sad. By God swear, it did not make me upset or weak mentally. I am proud and happy being a school teacher. Though his behaviour was very rude and impolite in international perspective, it is very common in Bangladesh. In particular, the civil servants are used to behaving in that way with the subordinates. School teachers are considered the sub-ordinates of their sub-ordinates. Moreover school teachers are very poor in knowledge (according to my chairman). So they (ST) are the subjects of look down upon! I should let you know that my honourable Chairman is a very talented civil servant.

School teachers must overcome all these constraints with their quality, strong determination and foresightedness. They (ST) have to face all these evil souls with intelligence and cool brain. These teachers should spread around for higher study, explore epoch-oriented knowledge, be expert and face all these odd situations with your world-class skill.