Rifat Chowdhury Suheli :
(From previous issue)
Another matter should be brought under notice of the education ministry. All the schools (primary, secondary, higher secondary, colleges, madrashas and universities) all should have two day’s holiday and this should be compulsory for all the institutions. A question may arise – why? The reasons are given below as such:
1. As government and private sectors are enjoying this for their well-beings, so a teacher has also the need of or say right to it. 2. Every worker has a personal space, he/she needs it to shape up his/her body and soul to face the world once again to energize his/her body, enrich his/her soul to cope with the world, to make him/herself skilled according to abilities. How can a teacher do all these when he/she is not given two day’s leave as if he/she doesn’t need it? Why do you think teachers are angels (body doesn’t require well-being) with magic wands (pens) to face the world of teaching without extensive or inclusive study and research.
3. A teacher needs to sharpen his/her skills by studying the latest outcomes in the field of teaching when he/she will do that as he/she has no free time?
4. For hortals, even his/her weekly day-off is taken away by imposing work on holidays. So he/she works 7 days of the week. Teachers are not supermen. Such thinking is a strange idea.
5. The students enjoy hortal breaks while the teachers spend duty hours crammed with other works risking their lives at school in hortals. In hospitals, if a day off is taken a day off is given, so is the case in other institutions then why not in schools? All the renowned private schools enjoy two days leave which gives opportunity to resume make-up classes. There the teachers do not attend work in hortals and can get their recovery classes in the day- offs of the week. So both the teachers and the students are not severely affected in hartals .
6. Teachers need to study and do research works. This can only happen when they have free time. So when a two day’s leave is a relaxation for other jobs, it is a must for teachers in a teaching job.
7. An ordinary graduate or a master’s degree holder in civil service, banks, companies, and industries enjoys Class 1 status, face no ‘nibondhon’ culture in their entire career, whereas a teacher having B.A (Hons) or Master’s degree or a post-graduation degree in education like B .Ed, M .Ed, is not given Class I status or proper high entitled salary or no ladder system promotion in their working place. Should you call it an honourable job? Why should a teacher render his best service, how can he/she when he/she is not well fed and well taken care of and given no honour in his working place?
8. A candidate joins as an assistant teacher and after the long tenure of his service retires as an assistant teacher!- is it surely not an honourable job. Who says so in favour? On what basis? Is it for their kindness, or for enduring all the injustices and for doing incredible job of nation building? The most important among all the jobs.
9. Awarding insulting status and lower pay scale can no longer bring the bright young generation of computer age to this job.
A teacher’s pay scale hence should be equal to that of the scale of Civil Service holders and by any means no less. A high school teacher is an honourable person as he has post-graduation degree like B. Ed. or M. Ed while a govt officer doesn’t. Yet the teachers are not given the Class 1 status.
10. The university teachers and office bearers’ pay scale should begin at a higher slap. The VCs should get equal pay to Cabinet Secretary. Then a Senior Professor should be treated equal to a Senior Secretary’s pay scale. Subsequent grades should be harmunised with equal govt grades.
11. People often claim schools are the most successful industries wherefrom the country’s best production comes out and so does profit. So much euphoria of success of the industry, yet the pay fixation is not done befitting that of an industry. In the industries, there are trade unions to take care of the interests of their workers whereas in the schools there is no such thing to protect teachers’ rights where their interests are concerned. There is a teacher’s representative whose job is to please the governing body and promote nobody’s interests. He is a lone figure who trembles before them and cannot open his mouth without their assurance for fear of losing his job.
What a farce. There is no strong trade unions, none to promote and maintain the teachers interests or well being. Then how is this a secured job?
Of course, it is not. Especially when he is constantly under the Sword of Democles under the threat of court’s punishment. He has to remember this all the time. He is working in the school and in the class. Does any other sector face this scare of losing the job amid defame and punishment? Please think seriously before answering this question. It is very important. Imagine you are among a bunch of sprightly young humans whom you are helping in unfolding their abilities, creativities to act as the best among the whole creation of the universe.
Teaching is a most challenging job, so should be the teachers’ salary and remuneration, far above the other scales of Class I status jobs. The West knows it, so does India. There, the teachers are highly paid and the Internet generation knows it. So please keep away from taking any gross erroneous decision about the payment of a teacher.
12. And last but not the least, there is another vital side to think about and that relates to the two days’ closure of education sector. It will bring a huge benefit for the country. You will be most astonished to see the outcome. They are as such :
a. Millions of buildings and their precincts will be saved from the usage of 96 days in a year and hence increase their longevity.
b. This will give opportunity to do repairs and other logistic activities in more agreeable atmosphere without hampering the classes.
c. Holding meetings, seminars, special trainings, make up classes for the weak students special classes and coaching the Class V and VIII and SSC candidates involving only a few persons and rooms and hours.
d. Save millions of institutions from electricity consumption, burning of oils, use of millions of transports on the roads, drinking water consumption, and parent’s travel cost and expenditure, and the student’s exposure to the vile world and traffic jams.
e. It will give opportunity for the parents to take intensive care of their children at home, help in home works, household works, take them to outings, drawing ,dance and music classes and other necessary activities.
Let the government take all the points into consideration and make no delay in taking the epoch making wise, fruitful and most pragmatic decision about the ‘teaching job and teachers by upholding the values of their contributions to the country and the nation.
(Concluded)
