Teachers and employees of non-government school block a road stretch in front of the National Press Club on Monday, demanding their inclusion in the monthly payment order. — New Age photo

A group of non-government school teachers said that they would launch a series of agitation programmes if the government goes ahead with its decision to restrict school, college and madrassah teachers from providing private tuition to their own students.
At a press conference at the Reporter’s Unity, the teachers, under the banner of Bangladesh Teacher’s Association, said it was not possible for them to teach properly because of the large number of students per class. As a result, they gave private tuition to students to fill the gap, they said.
If they were prevented from doing so, then the quality of education will suffer, they stated. 
‘Stopping private coaching by teachers is a conspiracy to make the nation talentless. The quality of education will suffer if the government stops it,’ said Abul Bashar, president of the association.
Bashar said that if the salary of teachers is increased, they themselves will stop giving private tuition to their own students. 
‘For the last three and a half years, the education minister has been saying that a separate salary structure will be awarded to teachers, but we do not see any progress. Without increasing the salary, the government cannot stop private tuition,’ he said.
A mathematics teacher at the Ideal School and College in Motijheel, admitted in the press conference that he gives private tuition to 80 students, but claimed that his class activities are not affected by the private tuition.
On June 14, the education ministry finalised the ‘Guidelines to stop coaching business of teachers’ report. Accordingly, government and non-government teachers are prevented from giving private tuition to students of their own institutions but can to a maximum of 10 students from other institutions. It also said that schools, colleges and madrassahs can arrange additional classes for weak students if guardians applied for them. Schools, colleges and madrassahs can charge Tk 300 per subject for the additional classes in metropolitan areas.