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Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Wednesday said the government will gradually increase the honorariums of primary and secondary school teachers as part of broader efforts to improve the quality of education and strengthen the country’s human resources.
Speaking during the Prime Minister’s question answer hour in Parliament, Tarique said better remuneration and professional dignity for teachers are essential to ensuring quality education and improving learning outcomes.
Responding to a supplementary question from opposition lawmaker Md Abul Hasnat (Hasnat Abdullah) of Cumilla-4, the premier said the previous government had focused on constructing educational infrastructure but had failed to make meaningful progress in developing human resources.
“If primary and secondary school teachers do not receive proper training and professional recognition through improved remuneration, we cannot expect them to deliver quality education,” he told the House.
The Prime Minister said the government also plans to expand professional training programmes for teachers at both the primary and secondary levels to enhance their skills and classroom performance.
He noted that many teachers are forced to take on additional jobs to support their families because of inadequate income.
“We have often seen primary school teachers finishing classes early because they have to work elsewhere, whether in another educational institution, agriculture or other professions, simply to make ends meet,” he said.
“A similar situation exists among many secondary school teachers. Teachers should not be compelled to seek additional employment. They should be able to devote their full time, energy and talent to educating students. That is why increasing their honorariums is necessary,” he added.
The Prime Minister also said the current national budget allocates around two percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to the education sector.
The parliamentary sitting resumed at 3:00 pm with Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad in the chair. The first 30 minutes were reserved for the Prime Minister’s question-and-answer session, during which Tarique responded to four starred questions and nine supplementary questions from lawmakers.
Replying to another supplementary question from treasury bench lawmaker Musammat Shammi Akther of a reserved women’s seat, the Prime Minister said the government would gradually provide school uniforms and school bags to around 12 million students from Classes I to V enrolled in nearly 65,000 government primary schools across the country.