The Teachers-Employees Unity Front says the move would reduce inequality, improve education and lower costs for families.
The Teachers-Employees Unity Front has asked the Prime Minister to bring 30,783 private education bodies under state control.
The group sent a memo to the Prime Minister’s Office on Sunday, October 4. It sought state control of private schools, colleges, madrasas and technical education bodies.
The group said the move would end unfair gaps among teachers and staff. It also said it would help raise the quality of education and cut costs for parents.
The memo said over 98 percent of secondary and higher secondary education is now run by private bodies. It said this makes equal access to good education a key issue.
The group said both state and private bodies use the same course plans, books and exams. But it said private teachers and staff get lower pay and fewer benefits than their state sector peers.
The memo named gaps in festival, health care and house rent benefits. It said money worries and such gaps can hurt the quality of education.
The group said state control could also make teacher hiring more open. It said this could help improve teaching quality.
It also said students at private bodies often pay more in fees. The group said this puts extra pressure on common families.
The group said state control could help poor and other low-income families get good education. It said a fair system could also help build skilled people and aid the economy over time.
The memo put the total state cost at Tk 26,337 crore. It said the state now pays Tk 17,237 crore in pay and benefits.
The group said the extra cost would be Tk 9,100 crore. It also said the state would get Tk 8,400 crore in tax and other income from the bodies.
The memo said bringing teachers and staff up to the degree level under the state system would need about Tk 700 crore more.
The group also cited past steps on pay for private teachers. It said late President Ziaur Rahman put them on the state pay scale from January 1, 1980, with the state paying 50 percent of their pay.
The memo also cited steps taken during the rule of former prime minister Khaleda Zia. It said pay rose by 20 percent on two occasions. It also said a plan for retirement benefits and a welfare trust was set up.
The group said staff got 50 percent festival pay, while teachers got 25 percent. It also cited a statement that all private education bodies would be brought under state control if her party returned to power.
The memo also referred to remarks by Khaleda Zia on World Teachers’ Day in 2024. It said she spoke from London by Skype and promised more scope and benefits for teachers than those offered by state control.
The latest memo calls for state control of private education bodies and equal rights for teachers and staff. It also seeks equal access to good education for all.
