In a joint message on the occasion of world teachers' day last year, the UNESCO, ILO, UNDP and UNICEF paid attention to "good teachers". The common message was signed by Koichiro Matsuura -- Director General, UNESCO, Juan Somavia -- Director General, ILO, Mark Malloch Brown Administrator, UNDP, Carol Bellamy -- Executive Director, UNICEF. It was mentioned that new subject areas in the educational process can only be used appropriately by students through the proper guidance and assistance of good teachers. They apprehended that massive flights of teachers from their profession due to cut back or improper fund placement in the budget for education, chaotic and harsh working condition for teachers might hinder reaching the millenium goal in achieving universal primary education and eradicating poverty for which education is so important. They reiterated from the recommendation No. 6 of the status of teachers "teaching should be regarded as a profession, it is a form of public service which requires of teachers of expert knowledge and specialized skills, acquired and maintained through rigorous and continuing study; it calls for a sense of personal and corporate responsibility for the education and the welfare of the pupils in their charge."

Some recommendations of the Status of Teachers demand ratification in the country.

* Working conditions of teachers should be such as will best promote effective learning and enable teachers to concentrate on their professional tasks.

* Teachers' organisations should be recognised as a force which can contribute greatly to educational advance and which therefore should be associated with the determination of educational policy.

* Stability of employment and security of tenure in the profession are essential in the interest of education as well as in that of the teacher and should be safeguarded even when changes in the organization of or within school system are made.

* Every teacher should enjoy equitable safeguards at each stage of any disciplinary procedure and in particular, the right to defend himself and defended by a representative of his choice.

* Teachers and their organisations should participate in the development of new courses, textbooks and teaching aids.

* Code of ethics or of conduct should be established by the teachers' organisations since such codes greatly contribute to ensuring the prestige of the profession and the exercise of professional duties in accordance with agreed principles.

* Teachers should be granted study leave on full or partial pay at intervals.

* The salary structure should be planned as not to give rise to injustices or anomalies tending to lead to friction between groups of teachers.

* Salary for teachers should be reviewed periodically to take into account such factors as a rise in the cost of living increased productivity leading to high standards of living in the country or a general upward movement in wage or salary levels.

* No merit rating system for purpose of salary determination should be introduced or applied without prior consultation with and acceptance by the teacher's organisations concerned.

* Moreover, in 1996 The UNESCO and the ILO recommended five concrete measures that Government should take.

* Give teachers the moral and material recognition they need and deserve, appropriate to their qualifications and responsibilities.

* Ensure that they have adequate working conditions; including basic tools for their task.

* Pay them a salary comparable to other professions.

* Involve teachers and their professional organisations in the formulation of education policies.

* Provide good initial teacher education as well as training on the job.

In Bangladesh there are about 7.5 lac people in the teaching profession. The non-govt teachers of secondary and higher secondary levels who teach about 90 percent students of the country get only 90 percent of basic salary, Tk. 100/- per month as house rent and very poor amount as medical allowances. There are big anomalies between govt. and private school/college in respect of salary structure and other benefits of teachers.

Teachers of private schools and colleges cannot cope with the present trend of rise in the cost of living. The conditions of teachers who serve in the private primary schools are more deplorable. They get only Tk 500/- per month as salary. In Bangladesh only 16 percent allocation of the total fiscal budget is kept for education. Whereas a country like Senegal allocates 33 percent of its annual budget in the education sector. Bangladesh spends only $5 per citizen for health and education; whereas Pakistan spends $10, India spends $ 14, Malaysia spends $50 and South Korea spends $160 each year. The UNESCO and the ILO recommended to allocate at least 7 percent of GDP in education sector, but we are far behind with allocation of about 2.83 percent. In addition the government is trying to make linkage between subvention and result of institution. The same recommendation of Hunter Commission of 1882 was rejected by the government of India's resolution on education policy, 1904 during the governorship of Lord Curzon.

This year in a joint message UNESCO, ILO, UNDP and UNICEF appreciated the service of teachers and called upon parents, community leaders, businessmen, trade unions, government office, especially educational authorities to find a way for the betterment of teachers.

Teachers' organisations are in the movement with different demands. Complexity of problems posed by the existing situation can be solved only by nationalisation of education. To ensure the prestige of profession teachers should ensure their co-operation with the administration and authorities in the interest of pupils. Teachers should be well equipped with the latest information in the classroom of a changing world. Teachers should have a technique to equip the students with knowledge. Mary Hatwood Futrel, a teachers' leader said, "When the uncapped potential of a student meets the liberating art of a teacher, a miracle unfolds." Each teacher should have that liberating art, so that we can expect the miracle.

Prof MA Bari is General Secretary, Bangladesh College-University Teachers' Association.