While speaking at the inaugural ceremony of country's first campus-based business incubator 'Sheikh Kamal IT Business Incubator' at Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET)Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday declared 2716 privately run educational institutions eligible for monthly payment order (MPO).
MPO (Monthly Pay Order)is the government’s share in the payroll of the non-government educational institutions. Under the scheme, the government gives 100 percent of the basic salaries to the teachers of non-government schools. The teachers and employees also get a lump sum amount as other allowances under the MPO scheme. According to the rules, the educational institutions first come under MPO scheme and then the government include the teachers in the payroll. An institution can come under the MPO coverage when its staff is qualified enough to get the benefit from the government.
It is worth mentioning that MPO policy had remained suspended for six years during the tenure of the then BNP-led alliance government. In 2010, the Awami League-led government reintegrated the MPO facility enlisting 1,624 private secondary and higher secondary schools and colleges in the MPO scheme.
MPO facility will improve the
quality of life and livelihood
of teachers and make them
able to concentrate more on
imparting
quality education
Teachers play a direct role in shaping the country's future. But the remuneration that they are offered is low. Therefore, we must ensure that those who play such a vital role in building the country's future get attractive remuneration which will not only improve their quality of life and livelihood but also encourage brighter minds to take teaching as their profession. We urge the government to recognise education as the building blocks of the country's sustainable development and invest accordingly. We hope that the government's move to bring more 4,000 educational institutions under the purview of the MPO facility will improve the quality of life and livelihood of teachers and make them able to concentrate more on imparting quality education.
Earlier, for several times, we have witnessed gross irregularities regarding the inclusion of MPO of the non government educational institutions. Educational institutions were allegedly enlisted in the MPO due to political influence rather than qualification. This should not be repeated. There should not be any nepotism, regional discrimination and political influence in the process of MPO enlistment.
Reports tell us that over 40 per cent of our high schools cannot prepare creative questions and 55 per cent of teachers of primary schools do not understand critical education methods. Such a huge number of unskilled teachers are deteriorating the quality of education being imparted to students across the country. Ministry of Education must address the urgency of incorporating new training institutes and improving the functions of the existing ones.