The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Founder chairperson of BRAC Fazle Hasan Abed has said the BRAC was not interested to interfere in the administration of government primary schools.

"We want to ensure that BRAC will not interfere with any of the administrative affairs of the schools. The government has only vested the duty of improving the quality of the teachers," he said at a press conference at Dhaka Sheraton Hotel yesterday.

At present, the quality of education at BRAC schools is better than that of government-run primary schools, he claimed.

"There is no guarantee that persons holding Honours or Masters degrees will be good teachers. Training is a must to be a good teacher."

Abed alleged that a large number of poor-quality teachers were given appointment to the country's primary schools during the previous Awami League and BNP government through corruption and bribe causing serious harm to the education system.

"During the reigns of both Awami League and BNP governments a large number of people, having poor quality education were appointed as teachers to the country's primary schools. Meritorious people were not given appointment as teachers. As a result, the primary education has become worst victim," he said.

Defending the government's decision to work with BRAC for imparting training to teachers at government primary schools in 20 upazilas, he said BRAC has only been given the responsibility of imparting training to teachers. "BRAC will keep its activities limited to ensuring quality education at primary schools in 20 upazilas, and it will not interfere in any administrative activities.

The press conference was organised in the backdrop of a strong protest by the primary school teachers against what they claim that the government has allowed the BRAC to supervise and monitor all the primary schools in those upazilas.

Being suspicious about the BRAC's intention, they also alleged that the BRAC would carry out its micro-finance activities and gradually take over the administrative responsibilities if it is allowed to enter the primary schools in the name of imparting training to teachers.

In protest of the government's move to allow BRAC to offer training to teachers at schools in 20 upazilas, the primary school teachers started wearing black badges from yesterday.

"BRAC strongly believes that it is the responsibility of the state to ensure quality primary education for all and it does not believe in privatisation or commercialisation of primary education" Abed said clarifying the stance of his organisation on the issue.

He said the BRAC initiated a pilot project jointly with the government to improve the quality of education at government and registered primary schools in 20 upazilas of nine districts under a pilot project.

The objectives of the pilot programme are to increase attendance, reduce high dropout rates, raise course completion rates to over 80 per cent and improve overall quality of teaching and learning at those schools, he said.

This will be done by providing teachers with skill training, making school management committees more active, organizing guardians' meeting and regular teachers' review meeting headed by the headmasters.

The training would be given to the teachers with their consent, no pressure will be mounted on them to have the training, he said.

He said they would sit with the leaders of the primary school teachers in the next week to clear the ongoing misconception or confusion in this regard.

BRAC Deputy Executive Directors A Mushtaque R Chowdhury and Aminul Alam, Director of Education Programme Shafiqul Islam, Coordinator of Educational Research Unit Samir R Nath and Public Affairs and Communications Director M Anwarul Haq were also present at the press conference.