Draft law bans coaching during class hours

The government has recently finalised the draft of the new education law with a provision of ban on running coaching centres during school hours and printing and selling of note and guide books.

According to the draft law, no educational institution can charge tuition and other fees without prior approval of the education ministry.

Teachers can run or teach in coaching centres but it would be a punishable offence if they coach students of their own institutions.

They are also not allowed to teach students for money through online platforms or using electronic devices.

However, they may tutor weaker students before or after class hours following prior permission of the guardians and as per relevant provisions under the law.

If any coaching centre violates any of these instructions of the law, its trade licence will be cancelled immediately.

The National Education Policy 2010 considers the new education law as a strategy to implement the policy.

Just one year after the National Education Policy 2010 was passed, an education ministry committee drafted the law and placed it to the cabinet in 2016.

But, the ministry failed to have the draft law passed in the cabinet as it received huge criticism for allowing coaching centres and private tuition.

Later, the draft law was revised but had been out of discussion till 2019.

Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni, after assuming office, took initiatives to finalise the draft education law, and now it is going to be placed to the cabinet meeting soon.

Deputy Education Minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury told The Business Standard that the draft law is now at the final stage.

"We have discussed with noted educationists and academicians to make it an excellent law. Hopefully, we will be able to flourish our education sector further by implementing the new law after it is passed," he said.

An education ministry source said that experts discouraged note and guide books for students at all levels as they might lose their creativity by following those outside textbooks.

They also raised voices against running coaching centres, especially during school times. The ministry paid heed to the experts' opinions and prepared the draft law accordingly, added the source.

Mahmudul Hasan Sohag, joint convener of the Association of Shadow Education Bangladesh, said, "We are not related with any government jobs or any government-run educational institutions. We teach students who are interested in taking tuition beyond school classes. We never force anyone to get admitted to our coaching institutions."

Coaching or shadow education is available across the world and even it has gained popularity in developed countries, he also said.

"Students will come to our institutions if they feel they need us.

"Do not rein in coaching centres; rather prepare students in the classroom. If you can do it, students will stop coming to coaching centres," he added.

Meanwhile, the draft law does not allow anyone to print, publish, bind and prepare note and guide books for sale.

If anyone violates the rule, they will be punished with a three-year imprisonment or monetary fine worth Tk5 lakh or both, reads the draft law.

Actions will be taken against teachers, head-teachers and managing committees if they force or encourage students to buy note and guide books.

The education ministry has continuously been receiving complaints about schools charging extra tuition fees which sometimes go beyond the guardians' capacity to pay.

The draft law has ruled out any scope to take extra fees as it has asked educational institutions to submit their fee structures to the ministry.

The ministry will decide fees given the overall state of the institutions. It could also take stern actions if any institution charges extra fees from students.

The ministry will decide the fees for those institutions too that follow foreign curricula.

Besides, establishing educational institutions without the ministry's approval has also been declared illegal in the draft law.

On the other hand, students must have at least 40 percent attendance to sit for final exams.

Educationist Professor Dr Syed Manzoorul Islam said the government must ensure learning in classrooms.

No student will go to coaching centres if they get appropriate learning in classes. And, teachers should be more careful about and responsible to teaching students, he said.

"But only banning note and guide books will not bring any good result. Coaching centres too need to be shut down at the same time," Prof Manzoorul said.