Education Adviser Professor Dr Wahiduddin Mahmud on Wednesday said that to prevent corruption and financial transactions, recruitment and Monthly Pay Order (MPO) inclusion might be completed simultaneously through the Non-Government Teachers' Registration and Certification Authority (NTRCA), if necessary.
He said that allegations of financial transactions in the inclusion of private teachers under the MPO system are alarmingly high.
Previously, MPO inclusion was processed at the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE), but it is now handled across nine regional offices.
Dr Wahiduddin Mahmud made these remarks during a discussion with leaders of the Education Reporters Association, Bangladesh (ERAB) at a meeting held in the Planning Commission conference room in Dhaka.
The adviser emphasized the need to reduce corruption in education administration and stabilize the system before initiating reforms.
He said: "Old personnel are being transferred and replaced with new ones. After that, various components need to be fixed in different areas. Toward the end of my tenure, I might establish an Education Advisory Council."
Rejecting the idea of forming another "Education Commission," he explained that past commissions had failed, and he preferred not to use the term "commission."
Addressing the challenges of curbing corruption in education administration, he said that it cannot be solved overnight.
"I proposed eradicating corruption within the ministry, and while the ministry acknowledged it, the message did not reach the directorates. A warning must be issued first, and any evidence of corruption should lead to exemplary actions," he added.
Regarding the cluster admission process, the adviser said that universities had been sent three letters urging participation.
He said data would be collected through the University Grants Commission (UGC) to determine the expenses incurred during the coordinated admission process compared to the revenue earned after leaving the system.
Speaking about the salaries of teachers in independent Ebtedayee madrasas, he said: "These teachers are equivalent to primary school teachers. However, while primary schools have been nationalized, Ebtedayee madrasas have been excluded. Their salary structure—Tk1,500 for teachers and Tk3,000 for headmasters—is genuinely unfair. Protests and hunger strikes won't resolve the issue now. Give us time to strategize and prioritize this matter so that future governments understand their plight and take action."
Highlighting the disparity in technical education, Dr Wahiduddin Mahmud pointed out that while 70% of students in developed countries pursue technical and vocational education, the opposite occurs in Bangladesh.
"Here, everyone studies for honors and master's degrees, leading to unemployment. We need to change this trend, as national university colleges and district universities contribute to the issue," he said.
