'Teachers matter'
TODAY is World Teachers' Day. On this day in 1966, the UNESCO/ILO Recommendation Concerning the Status of Teachers was unanimously adopted by nations around the world in the inter- governmental conference. Bangladesh is a signatory to the Recommendation.
Theme of the day
Education International (E.I), which has 394 affiliated teachers' organisations in 171 countries and protects the rights of teachers and education-workers, and the students, has adopted 'Teachers matter' as the main theme for the World Teachers' Day 2008. To quote from the Education International: "Every day, in millions of classrooms around the world, the universal endeavour of teaching and learning takes place. The gift of literacy is passed from one generation to the next, along with love of learning and thirst for knowledge. When knowledge is shared, skills are gained and lives can be changed. At the heart of it all is that key relationship between teachers and their students, a relationship based on every society's caring for, and investment in, the next generation. Teachers shape the future in the most profound ways, by inspiring the hearts and minds of tomorrow's leaders. World Teachers' Day is set aside by the world community to celebrate teachers and the central role they play in nurturing and guiding infants, children, youth and adults through the life-long learning process."
The National Front of Teachers and Employees (NFTE), the largest united platform of 11 organisations of the non-government teachers and employees, representing about half a million teachers and employees serving in educational institutions, has acknowledged the services rendered by NFTE co-chairman and President of Bangladesh Teachers' Association (BTA), Principal Quamruzzaman, who passed away on 25 September. Late Quamruzzaman contributed to teachers' cause for more than half a century, and was also affiliated with Education International and its predecessor World Confederation of Organisations of the Teaching Profession (WCOTP).
Salient features of "Recommendation"
Since education is a service of fundamental importance in the general public interest, it should be recognised as a responsibility of the state.
Since education is an essential factor in economic growth, educational planning should form an integral part of the economic and social planning undertaken to improve living conditions.
Teachers' organisations should be recognised as a force which can contribute greatly to educational advance and which, therefore, should be associated with the determination of education policy.
Both salaries and working conditions for teachers should be determined through the process of negotiation between teachers' organisations and the employers of teachers.
Teachers salaries should: a) reflect the importance to society of the teaching function and hence the importance of teachers; b) compare favourably with salaries paid in other occupations requiring similar or equivalent qualification; c) provide teachers with the means to ensure a reasonable standard of living for themselves and their families.
The participation of teachers in social and public life should be encouraged in the interest of the teacher's personal development, development of the education service and of society as a whole.
Teachers should be free to exercise all civic rights generally enjoyed by citizens and should be eligible for public office.
Where the requirements of public office are such that a teacher has to relinquish his teaching duties, he should be retained in the profession for seniority and pension purposes and should be able to return to his previous post or to an equivalent post after his term of public office has expired.
Violation of 'Recommendations'
The teachers and employees of about 30,000 educational institutions experienced harassment, political repression and vengeance, and termination of jobs from 2001 to 2006. The Education Ministry during that time violated the provisions, especially of 9, 10, 46, 47, 49, 61, 62, 63, 71, 72, 73, 82, 89, 90, 115, 117, of UNESCO - ILO Recommendations. On January 8, 2005, 9 orders were issued to stop due salaries, deprive teachers from higher scale on seniority and promotion, downgrade senior teachers etc. The ministry took all such decisions without any consultation with the teachers' representatives, in clear violation of the UNESCO-ILO Recommendations
It may be mentioned here that ILO and Unesco in Bangladesh jointly arranged a seminar on December 29, 2005 on "The findings of the study: assessing service rules and conditions for teachers and staff of non-government post-primary educational institutions in Bangladesh.
Allocation
Allocation in education is yet to exceed 2% of GDP, though successive governments claimed highest allocation in education. Non-government teachers and employees have been getting only Tk.100 (less than $2) as monthly house rent since 1984. There is no allocation for libraries and laboratories in most of the educational institutions. Provision for research work is also virtually absent. The meagre allocation is decreasing in view of inflation and increase of educational institutions every year.
Ray of hope
Teachers believe that governments, irrespective of political hue, think and act alike in regard to teachers' cause. No government concedes anything unless pressed for it. However, a ray of hope was visible when further politicisation of the educational institutions was discontinued and some new measures were taken. Steps were taken to bring some needed reforms in the education sector, though the view-points of grassroots teachers are yet to be accommodated. Teachers' organisations also are left out in the process of determination of education policies as before. Teachers have been debarred from contesting elections to public offices, in violation of constitutional provisions and UNESCO- ILO charter.
On the other hand, the legacy of the previous government in many areas of education, like stoppage of salary of teachers and education workers, continues to remain unchanged. There are as many as 6000 cases filed by the teachers and the employees against salary stoppage by the Education Ministry. Court judgments instructing the concerned authorities to pay the salaries, for example, are also not honoured sometimes. Still, in the changed circumstances teachers continue to hope for the better.
Today, half a million teachers in Bangladesh observe the "World Teachers' Day" with that hope.
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