Dhaka, April 10 – Education minister Dr Dipu Moni yesterday said at least 2,500 non-government educational institutions across the country are going to enjoy the monthly pay order (MPO) facilities from next month.
The minister said they have screened approximately 2,500 non-government educational institutions out of nearly 6,000 through the digital process and now they have decided to announce MPO facilities
for the eligible institutions.
She is hopeful that they would be able to announce it in the next month and don’t want to demoralise them by depriving of the MPO facilities as they are eligible for it.
The minister came up with the statement while holding talks the journalists on various issues concerning the educational sector.
“We have made a list of the non-government educational institutions under four categories. We are trying to provide MPO facilities to all so that it does not become unjust. We have completed our preparation.
It would be announced within a month,” Dipu Moni said. “If we cannot provide the 100 per cent facilities, we will provide it by 25 per cent. The government provided the last MPO facilities to 1,624 educational institutions in 2010. Since then the process was stopped. Though the teachers and heads of the educational institutions had been talking with the government to include them under MPO nothing happened.
The long delay of offering MPO made the teachers and employees of the educational institutions to stage demonstrations in the streets in the capital and across the country for many several months. Finally, they managed to achieve the assurance of the government to include them under MPO facilities.
Under MPO facilities the teachers and employees get some portions of their salaries from the government exchequer.
Regarding the coaching centres, the minister said there is no problem in running the coaching centres but the problem is created when it is misused for making money only by eschewing classroom teachings.
“All students are not of the same calibre. The weak students are needed for extra supports which can come from the coaching centres.
Coaching is not a problem. There are many freelance teachers to teach in the coaching centres and earn money for self-employment and bear the expenditure of their families,” she added.
“When teachers force students to come to their coaching centres, it is unethical and it cannot be tolerated,” she continued.
She said her ministry had no intention to shut down coaching centres during the public examinations but it has been done under certain reasons. – Staff Reporter
