A laudable step to end trouble of retiring teachers

It may sound unreal that the retiring primary school teachers are getting their grant letters within the stipulated timeframe and in about 30 minutes after appearing at their respective upazila education offices.

But this initiative, somewhat novel in our culture, has been taken by Sheikh Ohidul Alam, District Primary Education Officer (DPEO) of Jashore, since he joined the southwestern border district in January 2018.

In the last one year, 85 primary school teachers have gone on retirement and 42 teachers on post retirement leave (PRL) from different schools of the district, according the Jashore DPEO.

Alam made sure all the teachers got the necessary documents – the PRL order for the 42 teachers and the pension sanction documents for the retired 85 – on time and more importantly without any hassle.

Not only that, he made necessary communications including phone calls to make sure the teachers got their documents on a given date.

“I received a phone call on March 7. The upazila education officer at the other end while reminding me of my retirement date asked me to turn up to his office the next day. I went to the Keshobpur upazila office the following morning and signed on a few papers in presence of the DPEO. It took only 30 minutes to complete all the formalities before I walked out with my pension documents,” said Wajed Ali, an assistant teacher of Awalgathi Government Primary School who went on retirement from March 8.

It was also a presently surprising experience for Nur Islam and Bishnu Pada like Ali.

“I will go on PRL from March 13 and I got the documents from the Jhikargachha upazila education office on February 28,” Islam, the headmaster of Nabinagar government primary school, told this reporter.

Bishnu Pada, an assistant teacher of Majlauri Government Primary School, said that he also got a phone call from DPEO Alam and received his PRL papers on the same day from Monirampur upazila education office.

The whole experience was refreshingly different for them. They called Alam a man of great heart and an honest officer.

The trio also said that before the teachers had to go to the offices concerned several times and had to pay bribe to get their documents.

Siddiqur Rahman, an assistant teacher of Hingerpara Government Primary School in the district, went on PRL on December, 30, 2016 and retirement after one year.

“To get my PRL letter I had to wait for one month while it took 20 more days for retirement grant letter. I had to go to the district and upazila education offices five to six times and had to pay some money in those offices for what is popularly called payment for sweetmeat treat, Rahman said.

People working at the district primary education office and its six upazila branches said Alam visits each upazila offices every two months and collects the list of the imminent retired teachers. He also complete all the necessary paper work in time and remains present on the scheduled date at the upazila education offices and delivers pre and post retirement grant letters to the retired teachers.

Asked, Alam said, “After their long service teachers should get their PRL and retirement letter in time without any harassments and obstacles. But sometime they suffer harassment for some unethical and unscrupulous officers. Thinking their misery and harassment I have taken this initiative.”

The Jashore primary education's chief officer said he has also introduced a diary for the teachers called 'one day one word'.

“I have directed each teacher of the district to teach the students a new word every day and write it down in their diary. Upazila assistant education officer supervises the diary,” Alam said, adding that it would tremendously benefit the 2,58,080 primary students of the district.