Editorial
Primary Teachers' Plight
Primary school teachers staging a sit-in at the Osmany Udyan since Sunday to press home their demands for nationalisation of primary schools is yet another case of the government's failure to address an issue before it turns into a crisis. We have always found the government's reluctance to address such matters at the initial stage rather intriguing which made us suggest earlier on that an inter-ministerial body be set up to deal with such problems. Obviously this went unheeded.
At this point of time, though, we would request the government to identify the means to put an end to the deadlock. Abstention of teachers from work at the beginning of the year is bound to have a telling impact on academic activities at different non-government schools. Therefore, the sooner the crisis is overcome and the teachers are talked into resumption of their work the better.
In the long term, however, we would like the government to come up with a definitive formula to address the problem that has remained unresolved for so many years. As we understand, the policy-planners are not too keen on nationalisation of primary education and want management of the non-government schools delegated to local communities and NGOs. Although pertinent in the context of an inclination towards privatisation, the plan nonetheless contradicts the ruling AL's electoral pledge to the primary school teachers while it was in opposition. Surely, it has not forgotten that it did endorse their demand for nationalisation when BNP was in power. Besides, by denying the demonstrators access to water and use of lavatories at the nearby Nagar Bhaban, the government has earned some adverse publicity. On the other hand, the teachers have been exposed to pickpocketing and mugging. The situation has, overall, assumed precarious character.
We would request the authorities concerned, especially people from the Primary Education Directorate, to immediately initiate a dialogue with the demonstrators to defuse the situation. Our plea also goes to the teachers to go back to their respective institutions and resume work. They should contemplate other means to give vent to their grievances than indirectly harming the students.
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