Draft Education Act at Final Stage: Ban on guidebooks, corporal punishment
Teachers to be barred from private tuitions to the students of their own institutions
The education ministry is going to finalise the draft of the Education Act soon keeping a provision for imposing a ban on printing, publishing, and marketing notebooks and guidebooks.
The draft act stipulates that a teacher will not be able to provide private tuitions to the students of his own institution. It also seeks to impose a ban on corporal punishment for schoolchildren and mental torture by teachers.
Speaking to this newspaper after attending a virtual meeting yesterday afternoon, top education officials said the work on the draft by the ministry was in the final stage. They said they would need to hold discussions with the primary and mass education ministry and other stakeholders in this regard.
Education Minister Dipu Moni and top ministry officials will hold a press conference on the draft of the law soon, said officials.
"We are in the process of finalising the provisional draft of the Education Act. We are holding discussions within the ministry," Deputy Education Minister Mohibul Hassan Chowdhoury told The Daily Star after the meeting.
According to officials, the draft law makes printing, publishing, and marketing of notebooks and guidebooks punishable by a maximum imprisonment of three years or a maximum fine of Tk 5 lakh or both.
It also states that if a teacher forces the students of his educational institution to buy notebooks and guidebooks, actions will be taken against him or her.
However, the government will allow publication of supplementary books and education aid books only after approval from the authorities concerned.
If a teacher of an educational institution forces students to purchase supplementary books and education aid books, it will be considered as misconduct and disciplinary actions will be taken against him or her, says the draft law.
The draft act also said a school may arrange additional classes for weaker students, subject to written consent of the parents. This classes will be held either before or after school hours inline with rules or policies framed by the government or a circular or executive order.
Coaching centres for helping jobseekers, admission seekers or improving English proficiency will remain out of the purview of the law, said top education ministry officials.
The draft law also says no teacher can give corporal punishment or harass any student of the educational institution concerned mentally. Violation of this provision will be considered as misconduct and administrative disciplinary actions can be taken against the teacher concerned.
It seeks to take actions as per the penal code if any irregularities are detected at non-government educational institutions run by trusts, said a top official.
The education ministry took the initiative to prepare an education law inline with the Education Policy of 2010. The policy had recommended formulation of a law for proper implementation of the policy.
The ministry on January 26, 2011, asked a subcommittee of the education policy implementation committee to draft a law.