The necessity of quality teachers need not be over emphasized to disseminate better education. As a nation we have miserably failed to do it in any tier of education. And its negative outcome is discerned in every strata of our educational institutions and in the society as well. With a view to brining some changes in this area, thought came to the minds of our educationists and policymakers more than two decades back that quality teachers must be employed in our non-government educational institutions through a nationwide test instead of local recruitment through SMC.  As an upshot of it the formation of Non-government Teachers Registration and Certification Authority (NTRCA) came into being in 2005. Obviously, it does not talk about selecting absolutely quality teachers as several other factors tend to influence it.  Still people concerned became excited to see the beginning of a noble initiative. But the mismanagement, callousness, lack of professionalism, have seriously marred this effort and the Parliamentary Standing Committee of the Ministry of Public Administration  has recommended to revert to the previous teacher selection process through the  so-called School Management Committee (SMC) that we vehemently protest in the greater interest of the nation. Many non-qualified and even irrelevant people have found their place in the noble profession of teaching managing the SMC legally or illegally that can greatly be attributed to our extremely poor quality education we provide to our future generation who are going to take the lead of the nation. We cannot afford to do it anymore.

NTRCA published the results of its first to eleventh examinations on 10 July 2018 in which six lakh fifty thousand candidates came out successful but the overall results   have witnessed a complete mismatch inviting the frustration of many candidates.  The names of the successful candidates have been published but they found their roll numbers were different. Again, the roll numbers of male candidates have been seen in the list of females. The names of the candidates for school found their names in the college teachers’ list and vice-versa. On 09 April the 14th NTRC examination that was the last held exam  took place  where in the written test school level-2 ,  15 thousand 362 and college level 3 thousand 877-- total 19 thousand 863 candidates passed.  Total one lakh 66 thousand 318 candidates sat for the test. Tests were taken on total 81 subjects --in the school level-2, 23 subjects and college level 35 subjects. Before this written test, Preliminary Test was taken on 25 August of 2017.  In that test in the school level five lakh three thousand thirty eight and college level three lakh three thousand six hundred twelve, total eight lakh six thousand six hundred fifty candidates participated. One candidate gave a post on the face book that he stood first in his Upazila in the 13th NTRC exam but in the 14th he has failed.

 Many candidates thronged the NTRCA who could not give any satisfactory answers to the victims. They just kept the record and the complainants expressed their doubt and utter frustration about receiving proper assessment and justice. Several candidates received very peculiar answers from the NTRCA in respect of their reason to fail. They were told that the Upazilla which does not need any new teachers, the candidates of these Upazillas have been declared fail or deliberately made them fail. It was declared in the advertisement that pass marks would be 40 per cent.  How come this strange decision? Who takes this peculiar decision? If it had been the decision, why were the candidates of these Upazillas not informed of it earlier so that they    could not sit for the test spending fees, extra fees, travelling money, time, energy and tension. Most of the candidates who sat for this test are either unemployed or poorly employed. With the hope of becoming a MPO enlisted teacher, they appeared in the exam. Now the sweet will of the NTRCA has brought tears to their eyes.  

The Ministry has declared that the non-government educational institutions in the secondary and higher secondary level will have to recruit teachers against their vacant posts on the basis of the results of these examinations. In no way these institutions will have any scope to conduct another selection test. That sounds very good as it raises hope to have some quality teachers.  But the school and college authorities employed only six thousand teachers having certificate from NTRC so far that again raises serious doubt about the utility of this organization.  The other successful candidates still remain unemployed. Why? It is also learnt that from first to twelfth exams, the system was almost same but in the 13th and 14the tests, primary, written and viva-voce was taken separately. That was also a very good decision but things should have been made clear and known to all concerned.  The candidates passed in the 13th would be given direct recruitment leaving or dropping the successful candidates of the previous tests that would definitely create rooms for raising their anger.  

All this raises questions in our mind whether NTRCA   has any accountability to the ministry? How they dare to play drakes and ducks with the potential candidates? Why does the ministry of education play the role of only spectators or pretend to sleep when NTRCA shows its incompetence or non-professionalism?

It has urgently been felt for long the formation of a separate public service commission to select suitable teachers for non-government schools and colleges. Suggestions came from different corners to establish it but the idea went into hibernation. However, after the serious mismatch of NTRC examination results, a humming has once again been heard to make a separate PSC. The thing is not clear still that must be transparent to the relevant people and the people who are hungry for bringing about qualitative change in the field of education.

The writer works for BRAC Education Programme

Email: masumbillah65@gmail.com