19th teacher registration circular unlikely this month, ministry source says

The circular for the 19th teacher registration examination is unlikely to be published this month, despite Education Minister Dr ANM Ehsanul Haque Milon telling parliament that it would be issued within October.

Recruitment for entry-level teaching positions at private schools, colleges, madrasas and technical institutions has remained stalled for nearly three years. The delay has continued amid efforts to address the shortage of teachers at private educational institutions.

A source in the Secondary and Higher Education Division of the Education Ministry said on Thursday (October 8) that oral examinations for the recruitment of heads and assistant heads of private educational institutions will begin on October 21.

The Non-Government Teachers’ Registration and Certification Authority (NTRCA) is currently busy with the recruitment process for institution heads and assistant heads, which is being conducted for the first time in this format. As a result, there is currently little possibility of issuing a new teacher recruitment circular, the source said.

According to the source, senior officials of the ministry have advised that the process of recruiting new teachers should begin after the oral examinations for institution heads are completed. As a result, the 19th teacher registration circular or the 9th teacher recruitment circular is more likely to be published after the oral examinations for institution heads are completed. Several changes may also be introduced in the upcoming registration process. Completing those changes is also expected to take some time, the source said.

Changes planned in viva marks

A senior official of the Education Ministry, speaking to The Daily Campus on condition of anonymity, said there are plans to increase the marks allocated for the viva voce in the 19th teacher registration or 9th teacher recruitment circular.

“Plans have been made to increase the marks for the viva in the 19th or 9th teacher recruitment circular. However, no final decision has been taken on the matter yet. If the viva marks are increased, a separate gazette notification will have to be issued. As a result, it will take some time to publish the new teacher recruitment circular,” the official said.

Asked whether there was any possibility of publishing the circular this month, the official said there was not.

“There is no possibility. However, the situation could be different if instructions come from the higher levels of the government,” the official said.