This year’s Teachers’ Day theme gives priority to ensuring teachers’ rights, dignity, and workplace facilities. Society’s respectful attitude toward teachers and the preservation of teachers’ right to receive respect in society are necessary.
But this is now being disrupted. Mainly, for the past two-and-a-half years or so, instability has prevailed on campuses. Teachers’ due social rights, dignity, and workplace security are being undermined.
The kind of relationship that should exist between teachers and students is not at the desired level. Even society’s attitude toward teachers is not at a respectful level. Due to these reasons, teachers face unwanted situations on campus.
The Bangladesh University Grants Commission (UGC) believes it is necessary to ensure a dignified and professional and personal life for teachers. A social environment must be created where teachers receive respect and their safety on campus is ensured.
In the interest of the country and higher education, a just, fair, and equitable education system must be built. In the interest of an equitable campus, the sense of mutual respect needs to be restored.
There must be room for the practice of dissent. Everyone should be able to express their own views. However, that space for expressing one’s own views must remain within social norms, mutual respect, and courtesy.
The current government and the prime minister are giving special importance to reestablishing teachers’ security and dignity. Recently, at a high school in Kushtia’s Daulatpur, a teacher made remarks against the prime minister in the classroom.
After the matter became known and locals became agitated against the teacher, police took him into custody. However, once the news reached the prime minister, he immediately ordered the teacher’s release and that he be taken home with respect.
This shows that the prime minister has a lot of respect for teachers, and how important it is to the government to ensure that teachers and their dignity are safeguarded.
This time, on the occasion of Teachers’ Day, the government is honouring 100 distinguished teachers. Earlier, this honour was given to 12 people in recognition of teachers’ contributions to nation-building.
This time, through the prime minister’s direct intervention, a total of 100 meritorious teachers from primary to higher education have been brought under this honour.
Among them, 40 are university teachers and 60 are teachers from primary to higher secondary educational institutions.
The UGC has collected the list of teachers from various universities through the vice-chancellors. The list of school and college teachers across the country has been prepared by the ministry.
In the presence of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, 100 distinguished teachers will be handed the honour at the event celebrating World Teachers’ Day as declared by UNESCO.
I hope this initiative of the government will fulfil the long-standing expectations of the teaching community as well as encourage teachers further in improving the quality of education.
It is important to re-establish a relationship of mutual justice-based respect and affection between teachers and students in educational institutions.
Society’s attitude toward teachers must be brought to a respectful level. This is essential for re-establishing social order.
At the same time, a dignified position and rights for teachers must be preserved in society. In the greater interest of the country and the nation, the sense of mutual respect must be maintained on campuses.
Let a just, fair, and equitable education system be built through the hands of teachers, through which our new generation will grow up as humane and skilled individuals.
Author is the chairman of Bangladesh University Grants Commission (UGC)
