Nationalising private colleges

The government selected 285 private colleges across the country to nationalise in April, that employ nearly 18,000 teachers. The prime minister had also declared that her government planned to set up a public college in every upazilla.

When it comes to nationalising existing private colleges, however, she said that the subsisting teachers of those colleges would stay in their jobs but that there would be a separate non-cadre service for them, unlike those belonging to the BCS cadre service, and that they wouldn't be transferred to other public colleges.

BCS General Education Association, an organisation of cadre service teachers of public colleges, has also been demanding teachers of nationalised colleges be treated as non-cadres. Regretfully, however, without having settled the matter, the education ministry has started nationalising the selected private colleges.

The ministry should issue a circular immediately, stating that the subsisting teachers of soon-to-be-nationalised colleges would be non-cadre officers. Otherwise, it will not only be a violation of the prime minister's instruction but would also create unrest among teachers belonging to the education cadre service.

Ashek Sarker, Chhagalnaiya Government College, Feni