DHAKA: Jute and Textiles Minister Abdul Latif Siddiqui Saturday said most of the teachers at secondary level of education got their job by giving bribe, as he alleged a rot at the highest level of society.

He also observed that primary schools are lagging behind for a lack of sufficient teachers.

“The state policy has been criminalized over the time and only proper education can be the ultimate remedy for the problems,” said the minister.

He made the frank comments while speaking as chief guest at a seminar on ‘Role of Private Technical Institutions in Developing Manpower’, organized by Bangladesh Technical Education Board at Bangladesh Diploma Engineer’s Institution Auditorium.

The organization arranged the programme marking the ‘Technical and Vocational Education Week-2010.’ Joint Secretary of Education Ministry KM Mozammel Haque presided over the programme.

The minister recommended highest salary and social status for the teachers in building a developed Bangladesh.

Principal MA Sattar, President of Bangladesh Technical Teachers’ Samity Federation, and Gazi Md Abdus Salam, Principal of the Institute of Science, Trade and Technology, Dhaka, presented two papers.

They also placed several demands such as creating new posts in public and private job for the technical and vocational students, tax-free import facility for the equipment of technical institutions.

“The present education system was formulated by the British rulers to make us clerks,” the minister added and predicted the new education policy would be a failure if it could not relate education to ‘mother, soil and man’.  

Criticizing the result of SSC examination of 2010 as futile as he deplored the students got result-oriented in education instead of knowledge-oriented.

Addressing the seminar National Professor Dr MR Khan emphasized technical education for rearing skilled manpower for building a modern Bangladesh.

He demanded the extension of Technical Board to run their activities properly.

Treasurer of the National University Principal Faruque Ahmed, Director-General of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Department Noman-ur-Rashid, among others, also addressed the programme.

BDST: 1538Hrs. June 26, 2010
TSA/MMA/MUA