Masum Billah :
True education promises to eradicate corruption. Therefore, the department of education should have shown a different picture. But to our utter frustration that this division vies with all other corrupt sectors of the state at the cost of teachers, ‘students’ and the entire teaching community’s misery and mistrust making a dark hole in the field of education. Nothing happens in the state run organs without extra money. It seems all the authorities pretend to sleep. An assumed belief runs that the department of education works transparently to produce honest and patriotic citizens. But, its degree of corruption has gone up with the passage of time that sounds frustrating.
Teachers who are the guardians of the society and who are the builder of future nation are made victims of corruption by the staff and officials of DSHE, the centre of administration of education of the country. They are put into traps and thrown in the darkness, their files are passed from one table to another and sometimes files are hidden to extract money. The dishonest staff usually continues this practice year after year in this shrine of education. Education cadre officials (college teachers) come to DSHE on deputation actually don’t take any bold step to curb this age old corruption. Some of them even get involved with the corrupt staff to fall their fellow colleagues (teachers who come to get service) into trap. These teacher turned officials used to diffuse the light of education among the students and society as classroom teachers. Interestingly they forget their past and get involved in a different practice other than dissiminating knowledge. They remain here year after year showing thumb to the rules and regulations of government job. When they themselves, do so what will happen to the clerks and other staff? Sometimes some teacher turned officials show their innocent face telling they are quite unable to bring any change in DSHE because of the presence of so many millionaires. Nothing can be done by them against the existing tradition. Actually, they are not as helpless as they pose. If they sincerely want to bring about some changes, they really can do it. It’s true that they would not be able to turn DSHE into heaven, but they can bring some massive change within the existing system if they really try and take some bold steps. Just transferring someone from this room to that room does not necessarily mean any punishment or any bold step in connection with discovering some corruption.
A national daily has released that one such personal assistant of this department controls the syndicate of transfer and has amassed a colossal amount of money using this illegal channel. The newspaper also has published that 831 degree level teachers paid illegal money to get included in the MPO list. From each teacher about two lac taka was taken. Another teacher from Sherpur had given taka five lac just to release the salary of his school. When it was not actually done, he was threatened not to demand the money back.
Many DSHE staffs have been serving here because of their strong backing. The officials coming from the government college can hardly control the dishonest staff. In case of their transfer following any corruption detection, these staff again comes back to DSHE showing thumb to the honest officials. They have earned huge amount of money and wealth that they spend for occupying their position and satisfying the top bosses.
Already we see in our educational institutions that ‘students just pass without acquiring any quality education, they get certificates from the state but cannot prove their worth in most of the cases both at home and abroad. You can visit the educational institutions and talk to the students who have every potential to thrive; but how their creativity and own strength have been suppressed because of the existing negligence and widespread corruption in education.
Teachers themselves have to decide and take responsibility to build an honest and corruption free generation in spite of the turmoil engulfing the entire nation. Teachers are the guardians of the society, this fact needs to be proven by their sincere work wherever, they are posted.
(The writer is President, English Teachers’ Association of Bangladesh).
