Nationalisation of private-run secondary schools: Teachers’ protest to go on

Protesting teachers of private-run secondary educational institutions yesterday decided to move ahead with their movement for the nationalisation of their institutions.

The decision came after a group of teachers' representatives held a "not fruitful" meeting with the Education Minister Dipu Moni at the International Mother Language Institute, said Sheikh Kawsar Ahmed, the general secretary of the Bangladesh Teachers' Association.

After the meeting, around 3:00pm yesterday, Dipu Moni, while briefing reporters, said nationalising private educational institutions before the upcoming parliamentary elections would not be possible.

However, she said that the Education Ministry would form two committees to evaluate the issue. She also urged the teachers to stop the movement and go back to classes.

Sheikh Kawsar Ahmed told The Daily Star that the protesting teachers were not happy with the decisions.

"We have decided to continue our sit-in programme until we meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to discuss our demand with her," he added.

On the education ministry's decision to form committees, he said teachers' representatives were not included there.

"We demanded to include our representatives, but the minister refused it," he added.

Considering the meeting's outcome, teachers held another meeting among them and decided to move on with the movement, Kawsar Ahmed said.

Teachers of privately-run secondary educational institutions are staging sit-in protests in front of Jatiya Press Club since July 11, demanding the nationalisation of their institutions.