IF failure is the pillar of success they not only the Education Minister Mr Nurul Islam Nahid but the whole government is a success. The Education Ministry is plagued by ‘crimes’ such as question paper leakage in all public examinations – primary to higher secondary, corruption and irregularities in many, not most, private universities, student clashes in public varsities resulting suspension of class and examination, monopoly of pro-ruling party teachers and students on campus, and the last development of the on-going wrong-doing is the recruitment of 137 teachers into non-governmental educational institutes with fake certificates.In the last week Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) discovered pervasive corruption in the private universities that involved illegal money transactions at different stages – from taking approvals for setting up a university to awarding certificates to students. The TIB report said around Tk 1 crore to Tk 3 crore are exchanged for the approval of a private university and Tk 50,000 to Tk 2 lakh for getting approvals for appointing vice chancellors, pro-vice chancellors and treasurers. A section of officials at the Education Ministry, University Grants Commission (UGC) and the universities are linked to these transactions, said the TIB. Despite admitting the irregularities, the three trashed TIB report terming it baseless, though several news stories were published on the trading of certificate of universities all the year round. The Education Minister cannot be blamed to know what others know.Meanwhile, the question paper leakage probe body submitted their report suggesting change in the examination timing without indicating how the question papers were being leaked or who are responsible. That must be a state secret.The latest exposure of misdeeds came up in a report of a National English daily on Monday which said the Directorate of Inspection and Audit (DIA) found 137 teachers had managed to get appointment at non-government schools, colleges and madrassahs by showing fake certificates. Responding to such 200 allegations, the DIA cross-checked all the certificates of bachelor, master and diploma degrees and also the certificates offered by the non-government teachers’ registration and certification authority, revealing 137 fake-certificate holders among 105 teachers enlisted for the MPO. We are certain many more persons will be found working as teachers with false certificates. At various level of the government, people are looking for opportunities of corruption.Preferring corruption over education, money transactions for appointing teachers, issuing fake certificates, granting permission for private university approvals and certificate selling, the exercising of muscle power by students in public, question leakages in primary to higher secondary examinations, and all other evils revolving our education sector. Destroying character and competence building education is nothing but a crime of sabotaging our nation’s bright and boastful future. The Education Minister Mr Nurul Islam Nahid may be a good man, but he does not know his job. But he has nothing to worry because competence or honesty is not the strong point of the present government.
