Education Minister ANM Ehsanul Haque Milon on Sunday said teachers will no longer need to take to the streets to realise their legitimate demands.
“The government is giving the highest priority to the Education Ministry and initiatives will be taken to implement the reasonable demands of teachers and staff in phases,” he said.
He made the remarks as chief guest at an exchange meeting with the Teachers and Employees Unity Alliance at the ministry’s conference room.
The minister said a meeting would soon be held to take decisions on financial issues, including retirement benefits and the welfare trust.
He said the education sector is receiving the highest importance at the policy-making level of the current government and education-related matters were prioritised at a recent cabinet meeting.
He said it is not possible to implement all demands immediately as many issues were not included in the new budget, but the government remains sincere about teachers’ concerns.
Regarding complaints by teachers against ministry officials, he said the allegations would be reviewed and addressed in phases.
He said discussions are ongoing over school management committees and governing bodies and the issue of not assigning one person to multiple institutions will be considered at a managing committee meeting.
On the Non-Government Teachers’ Registration and Certification Authority (NTRCA), he said recent changes in the recruitment system will be reviewed and necessary decisions taken.
“Where corrections are needed will be reviewed. We do not engage in corruption, we will not, and we will not allow it,” he said, adding that transparency and accountability will be ensured in the education sector.
State Minister for Education Bobby Hajjaj said the written demands submitted by teachers have been taken seriously. “Among the various demands, standing issues have been identified and initiatives taken for resolution. We do not want to take abrupt decisions. We seek long-term solutions through consultation so that teachers do not have to return to agitation over the same demands five or seven years later.”
Highlighting teachers’ dignity, Hajjaj said proper evaluation of their responsibilities in classrooms would be ensured and the government is aware of the expectations of the teaching community.
Chairman of the Teachers-Employees Unity Council and Cumilla-2 MP Selim Bhuiyan, along with other teacher leaders, were present at the meeting.
