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Law drafted banning note, guidebook


Published : 17 Feb 2021 09:25 PM | Updated : 18 Feb 2021 12:55 AM

The Ministry of Education has drafted a law banning the publication of note and guides as supportive books but allowing use of them under some conditions. 

The proposed law also does not allow private tuitions but includes the opportunity to conduct conditional freelance coaching. The draft law was finalized in a meeting on Tuesday.

The law states that the contents of the textbooks and the answers to various questions cannot be published in daily newspapers or online without the approval of the government.

A note-guide book refers to books that contain the textbooks’ contents and answers to various test questions, in addition to government-approved supportive textbooks, which are sold commercially.

Printing and marketing of any such notebook or guide is prohibited by the law. However, supportive textbooks can be printed, published and marketed but those have to be approved by the government. The government can take action against anyone for breach of the law.

Shyamol Pal, Vice President, Bangladesh Pustok Prokashok o Bikrata Samity told media that it is a good thing that the government is able to differentiate between note-guides and supportive books. 

“Not every student can follow lectures, hence supportive books are needed to study at home”, he said. 

Regarding private tuition and coaching, the law says that no teacher can provide private tuition to a student of his own educational institution. However, there is a condition that the institution can arrange additional classes for the students if required.

Teachers are prohibited to teach any student of his own educational institution in private tuitions or in coaching or even online in return for money and there will be punishment for this misconduct if caught doing so. 

The law states that a teacher or student of a coaching cannot be involved in coaching practices during the on-going course of their respective educational institutions and if they do so, appropriate action can be taken against them and the registration or approval of the coaching will be revoked immediately. 

Further conditions include that teachers of coaching centers cannot teach any student of their own institution and doing so will be a punishable act. 

According to the law, private-tuition means a teacher of an educational institution teaching a student of his own educational institution in any other place for money.

Association of Shadow Education Bangladesh (ASEB) joint-convener Mahmadul Hasan Sohag, while talking to the reporters, said, “The new law is welcomed because it allows coaching centers to function. Our coaching centers are run with the help of freelancers. Some teachers are there with us, but if their students are in our centers, those teachers are not allowed.”

Coaching centers cannot be operated without being registered by law prescribed with the approval of the Ministry of Education. A coaching center cannot teach both domestic and foreign curriculum. Violation of this section can be punished by imprisonment for a term of maximum three years or a fine of maximum TK.5 lakhs or both.

Regarding tuition fees for students, it has been said that tuition fees for students from primary to higher education level and other fees have to be approved by the government. No fee can be charged without approval.

Corporal or physical punishment has been prohibited and students are to be well informed about it. However, the students can be dealt with and corrected logically by the teacher for their welfare. Teachers will not be held responsible if such a situation arises. 

According to sources, the Ministry of Education started working on the education law from 2011 after formulating the education policy in 2010.  Before the current draft, another draft was prepared and even presented to the cabinet once after taking multiple opinions. But it was returned due to various inconsistencies.

Of late, Viqarunnisa Noon School & College appointed their principal from the Ministry of Education and it was subjected to criticism. Questions were raised whether the private sector has this opportunity. However, the issue has been addressed in the new law. It states that the government can appoint head teachers and principals of MPO and non-MPO institutions for three years. The power to appoint from the same institution or any other institution will be in the hands of the Ministry of Education.