Masum Billah :
Some national newspapers have printed news that DCs and UNOs will supervise and monitor the educational institutions that has sparked a little reaction among the conscious section of teachers. However, discussion and reaction in the massive form has not been discerned as the field is education which sees the negligent eye of the society. The newspapers also say that in the DC conference they demanded this option. Basically, DCs and UNOs already look after the institutions, though not so closely .The Upazila and District Education Officers both in primary and secondary level need to seek suggestions and inform them of any educational decisions from because of their protocol, superiority and smartness. Education Officers of the field level, to speak the truth, have not yet shown the desired amount of smartness and efficiency. Their inefficiency and weakness in some areas might be the reasons of DC and UNOs’ desire to involve in the education administration. Upazila and district education officers don’t belong to education cadre, still we think, they can play a vital and very significant role in enhancing the quality of education. However, they seem to be miser in this case as their true interest in academic affairs hardly appears. With some exceptions this is the picture of the field administration of education.
The real monitoring, boosting and help boosting academic affairs see extremely poor nursing from the education officers who remain questionably busy with other things. Most of them want to become bosses and administrators and behave accordingly along with their close involvement in the affairs where monetary gains prevail. This situation has accelerated the doom of education and real administrators’ desire to get involved in education has come to the point of discussion. When DCs and UNOs will start real monitoring and supervising educational institutions, what the education officers will be doing? They hardly do anything that bear testimony to any real academic business and what they will do when DC and UNO will take over the charge of monitoring and supervising educational institutions?
The role of the so-called committees in the non-government educational institutions has gien rise to big questions whether they contribute anything to education and its quality. In recent times many areas of the country have experienced public representatives’ swooping on the teachers and torturing them physically and mentally. The newspaper reports also say that many educational institutions are afraid of MPs and the committee people belonging to the MP’s party and group. As a result, the non-government education institutions that play the greater role to education the future generation will lose attracting qualified teachers to this profession.
When a teacher or head teacher or a principal will be employed in an educational institution, it must be the expectation of all that the best and dedicated one should be recruited. That also goes with the teaching philosophy. However, showing thumb to this philosophy the local public representatives and their cronies try up and doing to employ their loyal people as teacher or head teacher or principal. Illegal exchange of money also plays here greater role. In this situation how can we expect quality teachers and quality education administration? As the local leaders and their group members remain engaged, the teachers, guardians and real education loving people cannot do anything against their decision. When this is the reality, DCs and UNOs’ direct involvement will exercise a positive impact in education administration. I talked to many teachers who also hold the same opinion as they love DCs and UNOs more than those type of public representatives and their loyal committees. Of course, exceptions are there in some places.
DCs and UNOs can take some steps to rein non-academic and academic destroying activities on the campus. However, the so-called management committee who actually don’t have any contribution to education with some possible exceptions should be abolished in the greater interest of the nation placing the responsibilities to the local administration and to boost up and empower the local education administration. Of course, education officers should play really education friendly role otherwise, the slanting trend of education quality cannot be obstructed.
(The writer is President, English Teachers’ Association of Bangladesh and worked in Cantonment College, Cadet Colleges, Rajuk College, BOU and was education expert in BRAC Education).
