Speakers at a roundtable yesterday called for eliminating corruption from the education sector.

They also blamed the four-party alliance government for the anarchy and mismanagement prevailing in the education sector.

Discrimination between rural and urban education system and different streams of education has reached its peak under this government, they said, adding that the alliance government has been patronising religious fundamentalism by providing higher allocation for madrasa education and politicising appointment of teachers.

The Awami League organised the roundtable on 'Problems and solutions of primary and secondary education' at the National Press Club.

Noted educationists, economists, lawyers and members of the civil society took part in the discussion, with former vice-chancellor of Dhaka University Prof AK Azad Chowdhury in the chair.

Dr Kazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad, president of Bangladesh Economic Association, said the budgetary allocation in the education sector is too inadequate to raise the standard of education.

Moreover, corruption, mismanagement and nepotism have been eating up most of the education budget, he added.

Dr AAMS Arefin Siddiqui, president of Dhaka University Teachers' Association, underscored the need for moral education at primary level to build a better society.

Noted lawyer Barrister Amir-Ul Islam called for introducing a uniform education system to eliminate discrimination from society.

Educationist Prof Ajoy Kumar Roy urged the government to increase allocation for the education sector in the budget.

He said the country's education spending is as low as less than 2 percent of the GDP (gross domestic product) while Unesco recommends that the figure should be at least 6 percent.

Presenting a keynote paper, educationist Shaymoli Nasreen Chowdhury put forward a 32-point recoomendation to bail the education sector out of discrimination, gender disparity and poor standard of education.

AL General Secretary Abdul Jalil said his party would prepare a working paper on the basis of the outcome of a series of roundtables on education, which will reflect the real spirit and aspirations of the party.

He said, "We want to get to the root of the problems and resolve those."

Expressing concern over the prevailing situation at Dhaka University, the AL leader accused the four-party alliance government of resorting to violence in different educational institutions.

He also criticised the government for appointing the ruling party cadres in public universities without taking the merit of the candidates into consideration.

"Only cadres of BNP and Jamaat are now eligible for the post of university teachers," he alleged.