Hundreds of teachers are living in uncertainty as they are practically unemployed despite receiving official appointments by the Non Government Teachers Registration and Certification Authority (NTRCA).
A number of such cases came to light where educational institutions are defying the NTRCA appointments. One teacher even claimed that a hefty amount of money was asked of him as bribes.
Then there are other teachers, who joined their workplace, only to find out that they are not included under the latest Monthly Pay Order (MPO) scheme. Akhtaruzzaman Raihan is one of them.
After passing the NTRCA exam from Brahmanbaria’s Nabinagar Upazila and receiving appointment as a Business Studies teacher, he left his job at a private company.
With the appointment letter in hand, Raihan, who is also newly-wed, was delighted that he had landed his dream job. However, he was disappointed to learn that he is not under the MPO as the school authorities requested for teachers when the previous guidelines were in place.
“How should I face my wife? How am I supposed to run the family?,” asked Raihan, who joined Fakir Bazar High School and College at Cumilla’s Burichang on Feb 7.
According to one official of the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education, the educational instituted asked the NTRCA for teachers based on the old guidelines without considering the new MPO, which was not fair. However, the directorate can do nothing with respect to the teachers’ MPO inclusion, he said.
Meanwhile, NTRCA has recommended cancellation of 184 institutes’ academic recognition and stripping their teachers of the MPO scheme due to the institutes’ corruption including denying appointment of teachers.
“Seeking the repeal of academic recognition of 184 educational institutes a list have been forwarded to the Education Ministry’s Secondary and Higher Secondary Division and Technical and Madrasa Education Division,” NTRCA Chairman SM Ashfaq Hussain told Bangla Tribune on Friday (Mar 22).
English teacher Mehedi Hasan, Social Science teacher Alamgir Hossain and Mathematics teacher Selina Banu were among the teachers who are facing the similar ordeal like Raihan.
In Bhola’s Charfashion Upazila, Rakib Hossain, who got appointed as an assistant teacher, was allegedly not allowed to join the Aslampur Azahar High School by its principal.
“The principal told me that there’s no point joining here. You will get no salary or bills,” Hossain said.
He further claimed that the principal made a demand of Tk 400,000 via another teacher.
Hossain has filed a written complaint to the director general of Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education.
Another teacher, Md Zahidul Islam made similar complaint to the directorate after he failed to join Dinajpur’s Shankarpur MBL High School as a Computer teacher.
After the principal of the school denied accepting Zahidul’s appointment letter, he took the matter to the board of directors’ president who told Zahidul that they didn’t receive any SMS regarding his appointment. When NTRCA forwarded the SMS to the principal, the school authorities termed it as fake.
When Zahidul requested them, they demanded Tk 150,000 as bribes.
Zahidul, in his complaint mentions that he has the records of conversation between him and the principal and the board president
Rangpur’s Hulashuganj Dimukhi High School authorities told teacher Lutfa Tahera that they requested for teachers by mistake. Teacher Manjur Rahi is another victim who was denied by the Haji Taiyab Uddin High School authorities.
When asked about these cases, NTRCA Chairman Hussain told Bangla Tribune, “We have recommended the ministry to take punitive measures against the institutes which are refusing to appoint teachers despite making requests for them, and resorting to corrupt practices.”
“Teachers, who were not allowed to join their designated workplace, are being requested to contact us. We will ensure that they get their earned place,” added Hussain.