Renaming education cadre proposed

The Public Administration Reform Commission has proposed the creation of a separate body for recruitment tests to appoint education cadre officers.

The reform commission also recommends changing the name of the cadre to "Bangladesh Education Service" with "Education Service Commission" for the recruitment tests.

Basically, the report suggests renaming the entire Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) cadre system by replacing the word "cadre" with "service" for a "better reflection of their characteristics".

Currently, education cadre officers are appointed through BCS exams held by the Public Service Commission (PSC).

For educational administration, the reform commission recommends separating the Secondary Education Division from the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE) to create a dedicated "Directorate of Secondary Education".

In its report submitted to Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Wednesday, the commission also recommends forming a "Directorate of College Education" and upgrading the director general's position to Grade 1 to enhance efficiency.

The report further proposes the abolition of the dual governance system in higher education at the college level, advocating for better coordination. A committee led by the education secretary should oversee the implementation of honours programmes. The launch of these courses in private colleges should be limited to maintain academic standards.

To improve the quality of education, the commission proposes that educators meet strict research criteria for promotion. A teacher would be required to publish at least three original research papers in indexed journals for promotion to associate professor, while those being promoted to professor would need to publish five. These publications must be featured in both national and international journals.

The report also suggests a structured promotion system for BCS General Education Cadre officers, ensuring their progression from Grade 9 to Grade 1. The commission calls for a transparent, merit-based promotion policy, with decisions based on competence, performance, experience, and academic qualifications. Promotions should follow a standardised examination and evaluation process under the newly proposed "Education Service Commission", the report reads.

As part of this, the commission recommends that at least 5 percent of education cadre professors be promoted to Grade 2 of the national pay scale. Eligible professors would need to have a PhD and serve for at least five years.

The commission also says that the current student-teacher ratio is below international standards. It calls for increasing the education sector's budget and swiftly filling vacant teaching positions. For technical education, the report suggests introducing technical subjects from Class 8, expanding technical institutions, and recruiting qualified teachers.

The report highlights the diminished role of the National University (NU), which currently oversees over 2,200 colleges. Given the growth of public universities across various divisions, the commission recommends affiliating degree-level colleges with their respective regional universities. It also proposes selecting one leading college in each division and district and developing it into a specialised higher education institution comparable to university-level institutions.

To further enhance education, the commission recommends establishing specialised higher education and women's madrasas in each division, as well as madrasa teacher training centres. It also suggests extending primary school facilities to Ebtedayi-level students, improving the monitoring and investment in private madrasas with strong performance, and implementing a policy for hiring qualified principals and teachers.

The commission also advises that managing committees for private colleges and secondary schools be led by government officers instead of political figures, aiming to reduce issues related to political involvement.

Additionally, the commission proposes that the National Technical Resource Centre (NTRC) recruit teachers from Chattogram and the Chattogram Hill Tracts based on local recommendations. It also suggests establishing residential schools in selected areas of hill tracts and using VSAT technology to enable online schooling in these remote regions.