‘Without respect for teachers, education loses its value’

Dhaka University Prof Emeritus Serajul Islam Choudhury says the ruling class has persistently neglected education, and when education is devalued, teachers inevitably lose social dignity. On the occasion of World Teachers' Day, The Daily Star spoke with one of the country's most esteemed educators about the declining social and financial recognition of teachers and the way forward.

The Daily Star (TDS): On the eve of World Teachers' Day, as we honour educators around the globe, how would you evaluate the current social and economic status of teachers in Bangladesh?

Serajul Islam Choudhury: This is a vital question. Issues surrounding the status of teachers have long existed, but the situation has worsened. Both their societal standing and financial security have declined. Education itself no longer holds the same social or national importance it once did.

Bangladesh is a bureaucratic capitalist state. Within this system, bureaucrats enjoy respect that teachers do not receive. When a teacher attends an event, it is common for their presence to go unnoticed. Economically, teachers are in a vulnerable position, reflected in their pay scales.

Consequently, many rely on private tuition and coaching centres. Often, a teacher must give private lessons in the morning, teach at school during the day, and then head to a coaching centre in the evening. This divided attention undermines classroom teaching.

It is essential that education be delivered in the classroom so effectively that students do not need additional study at home. But if teachers cannot concentrate fully in class, they cannot fulfil their role as true educators.

TDS: You mentioned that teachers once held a reasonably good status. What led to the decline we see today?

Serajul Islam Choudhury: The ruling class never gave education the importance it deserved. The government's primary focus was on ruling, not on ensuring people became educated or that basic education was widely accessible. Their aim was to govern, not to empower.

Even in development efforts, education was sidelined. When education is not valued, teachers are also denied respect. Our development is of a capitalist nature. What does this development do? It creates disparity, prioritises profit, and reduces the value of education.

Teachers see that they need economic improvement, so their focus shifts towards earning through coaching and tuition, which in turn affects their social standing.

TDS: Doesn't a teacher's pursuit of private tuition, coaching centres, or paying money to secure a job raise questions about their dignity?

Serajul Islam Choudhury: Definitely. A teacher pays money to get the job, and then seeks to earn it back. Another factor is competition.

Previously, people were content within their profession. Now universal competition is required. If my neighbour achieves greater development than I do, my status decreases even within my own family.

TDS: You mentioned this issue stems from the capitalist model of development. But in other capitalist countries, teachers receive decent salaries and are held in high regard. How do they manage this, and why haven't we?

Serajul Islam Choudhury: There is a fundamental difference between the capitalist systems of other countries and the bourgeois structure here. In many capitalist nations, development was driven by skill acquisition and knowledge.

They understood that knowledge was strategic not only for progress but also for colonial dominance. From weapons to trade and commerce, every domain demanded skill, and skill required education. For education to thrive, teachers had to be respected. Their dignity, status, and economic security were vital. These countries deliberately attracted talented people into teaching by offering competitive salaries and elevating the profession's social standing. Capitalists usually acquired resources from other countries, but in our country, it is opposite where wealth is being laundered abroad. In Bangladesh, patriotism in development has steadily declined.

TDS: Are the salary, honour, and security currently provided to teachers in Bangladesh adequate?

Serajul Islam Choudhury: No. Teachers, especially at primary and secondary levels, are often forced to take to the streets, face repression, and endure assault. Such scenes do not enhance their image.

Another harmful factor is our three-stream education system. General, madrasa, and English-medium streams existed during the Pakistan period but have now expanded, intensifying class-based segregation. The dream of a unified, inclusive system rooted in the mother tongue was never realised.

For instance, English-medium students often struggle to get into public universities because their syllabus is misaligned with admission tests. Naturally, many go abroad, fuelling brain drain.

TDS: Recently, teachers have been harassed in various ways, including being forced to resign. What is your take on the issue?

Serajul Islam Choudhury: If a teacher is humiliated, the entire education system is humiliated. Publicly humiliating a teacher for political reasons or by organising students is a major crime. This injustice is highly detrimental to public confidence, attraction, and status regarding education.

TDS: What impact does teachers' involvement in politics have on their neutrality and dignity?

Serajul Islam Choudhury: Of course, it has an impact. Teachers should have political views. But having an ideology is one thing; using it as a basis for recruitment is another. The mindset that to become a teacher one must align with a political party has fragmented the profession.

Today, two factors dominate recruitment: money and political allegiance. In primary and secondary education, money plays the bigger role. At the university level, allegiance is vital. Potential teachers are asked about their political affiliations.

This happens in public universities. In contrast, private universities recruit on merit, which is why many are surpassing public ones, despite public institutions having better infrastructure.

TDS: Is there a connection between the commercialisation of education and teachers' role?

Serajul Islam Choudhury: Definitely. Education must now be bought. Those who can spend more get better quality. Education should not be commercial; it is the state's responsibility to provide opportunities.

If a student sees the teacher as a guidebook vendor, the teacher's status is degraded. A teacher going to a coaching centre is shameful for the teacher and frustrating for the student.

TDS: Teachers' low salaries push them to seek extra income, fuelling commercialisation. What is the solution?

Serajul Islam Choudhury: The solution is raising teachers' status, salaries, and allowances.

TDS: What is your assessment of the current quality of education in Bangladesh? Do you think our education system is competitive by international standards?

Serajul Islam Choudhury: The quality of education has deteriorated. We are lagging in almost every aspect. Our system is heavily exam-centric; we focus on producing examinees rather than learners. There is constant experimentation with examinations, but more exams do not improve quality. What they do increase is the cost of coaching centres, where students are trained only to perform in tests.

One government introduces a change, the next reverses it. We've seen frequent shifts in curriculum and textbooks. But have we ever seen such rapid changes in English-medium syllabi? Their core knowledge remains the same. In our system, topics are removed, added, and reshuffled repeatedly. This constant tinkering weakens education.

Another issue is that education must be linked to employment. A major weakness of our capitalist development is that it is not tied to production. Employment is not rising, and educated unemployment is increasing alarmingly.

Still, it is true that some students today are more knowledgeable than before. But there is striking disparity: roughly five percent are excelling, while the remaining 95 percent fall behind.

In the past, a degree reflected quality, as standards were relatively consistent across students. That is no longer the case. Even within the same type of degree, significant differences have emerged. Students from lower-tier institutions often lag far behind those from the top five, where the quality gap is wide.

Students going abroad are competing successfully. They prove their qualifications abroad because they know survival depends on performance. They excel by applying their maximum strength, time, and talent.

TDS: Is the success of some students due to personal initiative or the education system?

Serajul Islam Choudhury: They are doing well due to personal effort. They come from good family environments, access information easily through the internet, and improve through their own initiative. It is not due to institutions. If it were, everyone would do well.

TDS: How prepared are current Bangladeshi teachers in terms of classroom skills, evaluation methods, and ethical readiness?

Serajul Islam Choudhury: They are not ready. There are several reasons: people do not want to be teachers because salaries are unattractive. Those who end up teaching are often those who cannot secure better jobs in civil service or private companies. Recruitment rarely considers interest in education; it is treated simply as employment.

Recruitment alone does not make a teacher. Training is necessary, but this is lacking at all levels. Training exists in name, but it is not applied effectively in classrooms. New teachers must develop on their own initiative. In the past, teachers were encouraged to research and publish.

Education must also go beyond the classroom. Take the student union, which once kept the social and cultural life of universities vibrant. Educational institutions are not factories; they are social and cultural spaces. Students develop by interacting, debating, playing sports, and engaging in cultural activities outside class.

TDS: Does our education system encourage research?

Serajul Islam Choudhury: Research takes place mostly from personal interest. Publication is neglected. A university should be judged by its publications. Now, once someone becomes a lecturer, they automatically progress to professor. Public universities have many professors, but previously advancement required a PhD or publications. That pressure is gone.

TDS: What steps should the government and society take to protect the status of teachers?

Serajul Islam Choudhury: Appropriate steps have never been taken. Education is not considered a beneficial or essential matter. A social revolution is essential in our country. Its core principle must be equality of rights and opportunities. Although people cannot be completely equal due to merit, equal opportunities must be created for all.

There is a strong connection between teacher status and salary. Investment is grossly inadequate. We invest about two percent of GDP, and much of that is wasted through corruption and misuse.

UNESCO recommends six percent of GDP. But given our large population and the need to educate and turn people into resources, we have long argued that investment should be 12 percent or more. We need higher investment than other countries to increase human skill and creativity.