Staff Reporter
Rtnn: The government is planning to pass the Education Act in the new term, as the last session of parliament during the tenure of the current government ended on November 2.

An identified vested group associated with coaching centres has engaged in spreading propaganda about the new curriculum, but the authorities cannot take legal action as the proposed Education Act has not been passed in parliament yet.

Recently, Education Minister Dipu Moni said that the proposed Education Act can be passed in the next term of the government.

 She further said some coaching centres, Facebook accounts, and individuals with anti-government leanings were spreading propaganda about the new curriculum to mislead students and their parents.

The education minister provided clarifications on 15 types of misinformation about the new curriculum spread by vested groups.

 On Friday, the education minister said the majority of those agitating to reform the new curriculum are involved in the coaching business.

“Sadly, some teachers are also involved in these movements. Their main goal is to keep the coaching business running. If we agree with them and decide to give a 50-60 point exam, children must attend coaching centres to prepare for them,” she added.

 Why the delay in passing the act?
The National Education Policy was formulated in 2010 to introduce the Integrated Education Act. In January 2011, the Ministry of Education formed 24 sub-committees to implement the education policy.

After that, the Ministry of Education sent the draft of the act to the Cabinet Division several times. But the Cabinet Division sent back the draft each time, citing the need to amend various errors. At the last moment of the current government's term, it has now said that the act will be passed in the next term of the government.

Talking with Dhaka Tribune, educationists and national education policymakers said it was necessary to pass and start implementing the Education Act to implement the national education policy.

They said many issues cannot be fixed and implemented properly due to the absence of the law.

In December 2016, the draft act legalizing coaching and private tuition under the name of “support education” was sent to the Cabinet Division by the Ministry of Education. Later, the ministry revised it amid controversy.

The next year, the ministry drafted the act banning coaching, private and all types of note-guides, exercises or guide books.

The draft also bans private tuition, coaching, notebooks, corporal and mental punishment of students, and the operation of private institutions without prior approval from the government.

The violation of the provision is a punishable offence with a maximum imprisonment of three years, minimum Tk5 lakh fine, or both.

However, books that are helpful can be published with the permission of the government, and there will be no bar to freelance coaching.

The draft of the Education Act-2020 would allow the government to fix tuition at all private universities. It also makes the registration of branches of schools and madrasas of foreign origin mandatory.

The latest draft of the proposed act states that no educational institution or any teacher can force students to buy or read guide books.

Additionally, no teacher can teach any student of his own institution in coaching centres or private tuition.

Speaking to Dhaka Tribune recently, a senior official of the Ministry of Education said that the current National Education Policy was formulated more than a century ago, and it would not be practical to pass the new policy now.

The law should be made by taking into account the issues of the current context, said the official.

Referring to the new curriculum based on classroom-based academic activities, educationist Syed Manzoorul Islam said students would not turn to coaching centres if they were properly taught by their institutions.

Even then, if there is an inclination towards coaching centres, then it is necessary to implement the Education Act quickly, he added.