Adviser to the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, Dr. Bidhan Ranjan Roy Poddar, has emphasized the urgent need for a comprehensive policy to regulate tuition fees in private kindergartens and ensure government oversight of their curriculum.
He made the remarks on Thursday during a stakeholder meeting in Rajshahi aimed at improving the quality of primary education.
He stressed that fee collection should not be left to the discretion of private operators and that their curriculum and syllabus should also come under government supervision.
“There is no objection to running kindergartens and private institutions,” Dr. Bidhan noted, “But it’s essential to have a clear policy in place so fees cannot be charged arbitrarily. The government must also oversee what and how children are being taught.”
The meeting, held at the PTI auditorium and organized by the District Primary Education Office, was attended by headteachers of primary schools, upazila and assistant education officers and PTI instructors.
Participants discussed a range of issues including infrastructure development, classroom modernization, quality of instruction, introduction of mid-day meals, improvement in ICT resources, increased teacher pay and the need for free training programs.
Stakeholders also urged the government to bring all kindergartens under a regulatory framework to ensure transparency and fairness. Attention was drawn to the importance of enabling children from indigenous communities to study in their native languages. Teachers were encouraged to follow the official teacher’s guide more rigorously to ensure consistent and effective teaching practices.
The event featured several distinguished guests, including Director General of the Directorate of Primary Education, Abu Noor Md. Shamsuzzaman, Additional Divisional Commissioner (General) Mohammad Habibur Rahman and Directorate’s Policy and Operation Director, Mohammad Kamrul Hasan.
The session was presided over by Rajshahi District Commissioner Afia Akhter.
FA/SH
