DU students, teachers protest cancellation of recruitment of music, physical education teacher in primary education

Teachers and students of the Department of Music at the University of Dhaka organised a protest programme demanding the resumption of recruitment of Music and Physical Education teachers in primary education institutions.

Earlier, the government scrapped its plan to recruit music and physical education teachers in around 2,500 clusters following a recommendation from the Secretary Committee.

The protest was held around 11:30am today (6 November) in front of the Aparajeyo Bangla sculpture in the university campus. Expressing solidarity with the Department of Music, Dhaka University Central Students' Union (Ducsu) Literature and Cultural Affairs Secretary Musaddik Ali Ibne Mohammad, Ducsu member Hema Chakma, and several teachers from the Department of Theatre and Performance Studies and the Department of Dance also joined the programme.

Expressing solidarity with the protest, Professor Dr Israfil Shaheen of the Department of Theatre and Performance Studies said, "A state cannot progress based solely on religion. Culture never hinders religion. Just as religion contributes to human development, music, performing arts, cinema, drama, poetry recitation, and fine arts awaken the human conscience."

He added, "Across the world, in countries like Turkey, Malaysia, and the United Arab Emirates, music teachers are essential. Then why should Bangladesh be an exception? While we are taking initiatives to introduce departments of drama, music, and film under the National University across the country's colleges and universities, why is there a decision to abolish such teaching positions at the primary level? We protest this decision, express our strong resentment, and call for an immediate solution."

Associate Professor Azizur Rahman Tuhin of the Department of Music said, "Looking back at world history, we see that civilisations have survived and flourished through art, literature, culture, and music. Every civilisation preserves its artistic heritage."

He further said, "The decision to abolish the positions of music and physical education teachers in primary schools is a conspiracy to obstruct the mental and physical development of our children. In whose interest is this being done?"

Speaking at the gathering, Humayra Upanyas, a student of the 2021–22 academic session of the Department of Music, said, "The age from first to fifth grade is called the 'foundation age.' At this stage, along with Bangla, English, and Mathematics, subjects like music, art, and physical education are equally important."

She added, "Our parents tell us that practising culture helps a person grow into a better human being. Music keeps people away from crime. These are lessons we learn from our homes. Why do we have to protest for such demands now?"

The protest follows a formal clarification issued by the Chief Adviser's Office on 4 November regarding the cancellation. The government stated that the initial proposal to appoint an equal number of music and PE teachers in 2,500 clusters of primary schools was withdrawn based on the recommendation of the Secretaries' Committee.

The committee found flaws in the project's planning and implementation feasibility.

The Ministry of Primary and Mass Education ultimately decided to abandon the plan, arguing that appointing such a small number of teachers would not bring any effective benefit to the primary education level and would create inequality across the country's 65,569 primary schools.

The committee noted that a single cluster-based teacher would have to serve simultaneously in more than 20 schools, making the management of working hours infeasible.

The government statement added that the creation of such new teaching positions in all schools may be considered in the future, subject to the availability of funds.