Demands Rise to Restore Managing Committee Authority in Hiring Institution Heads

The debate surrounding the recruitment of heads for MPO-listed educational institutions has intensified as a group of teachers demanded the cancellation of recent exams conducted by the Non-Government Teachers' Registration and Certification Authority (NTRCA). During a press conference held today, Wednesday (May 6), at the National Press Club, the speakers called for the reinstatement of the Managing Committee and Governing Body's authority to appoint Principals, Vice-Principals, Headmasters, and Assistant Headmasters.

Under the banner of "Sachetan Shikkhak Samaj" (Conscious Teachers' Society), the organization's convener and teacher at Shahjahan Siraj College in Tangail, Abdul Awal, read a written statement highlighting the legal and administrative complexities of the current recruitment process.

The press conference addressed a recent legal battle where 119 teachers filed a writ petition in the High Court seeking to stay the NTRCA recruitment exam. While the High Court initially ruled in favor of a stay, the NTRCA moved to the Chamber Judge’s Court, which stayed the High Court's order on April 17. Consequently, the NTRCA conducted the examination on April 18.

The protesting teachers alleged that the NTRCA hurried the examination without adequate preparation or a clear policy framework, describing the move as "malicious."

The speakers argued that according to national laws, the power to appoint institution heads lies solely with the Governing Body or Managing Committee. However, they pointed out that since the fall of the previous regime, educational institutions have been run by ad-hoc committees instead of full-fledged Managing Committees, preventing local authorities from exercising their recruitment powers.

"The recruitment of unskilled and unqualified teachers as institution heads during the previous fascist regime caused a collapse in the education sector," the speakers stated. They further claimed that the ongoing suspension of head-of-institution recruitment and the NTRCA's attempt to centralize the process without forming Managing Committees is hampering educational development.

The "Sachetan Shikkhak Samaj" demanded that the government facilitate the formation of regular Managing Committees and allow them to conduct recruitment according to traditional bylaws, ensuring that local institutional needs and standards are met. Senior teachers including Monjurul Islam, Md. Yusuf Ali, and Mohammad Hossain were also present at the event.