Lack of coordination between the two education ministries is hampering the implementation of the National Education Policy 2010, several members of sub-committees set up to implement the policy and ministry officials said.
They said that the primary and mass education and the education ministry were divided on some issues that were delaying the implementation of some of the policy recommendations.
'Some sub-committees cannot take a decision because of a difference in opinions between the two ministries,' an official told New Age.
The official said that a difference in opinion became evident in deciding the extension of free primary education from Class V to Class VIII.
The education ministry on January 26 formed several sub-committees to implement the education policy.
One sub-committee, chaired by primary and mass education secretary, AKM Abdul Awal Mazumder, was set up to report on and recommend how the extension of primary education up to Class VIII could be implemented.
After the first meeting of the sub-committee on March 8, Abdul Awal said that the extension would begin in 2012.
But education ministry officials were not happy with this statement as they thought that it was not possible to begin the work so early. Many officials even expressed their dismay at the statement.
'[Mazumdar] is just responsible to submit a report and recommendations and the main committee will decide when the extension will begin,' a high education ministry official said.
'He is the head of the sub-committee. That does not mean that he is responsible for the whole committee,' another official said.
'Because of lack of coordination, the extension of primary education might not begin in 2012,' a sub-committee member said.
Ministry officials said that there was also lack of coordination on some other issues.
They said that as the education ministry had played the leading role in the formulation of the National Education Policy, the primary and mass education
ministry does not have an interest in implementing the policy.
'I do not find them interested in implementing the National Education Policy 2010,' an official said.
Primary and mass education ministry officials, on the other hand, said that the education ministry was dominating the implementation tasks and in many cases they were left with nothing to do.
'They are doing everything as if they do not need our help,' said an official of the primary and mass education ministry.
Educationists feared that the implementation of the policy would be jeopardised if there is lack of coordination between the ministries.
'Both the ministries are involved in implementing many of the recommendations of the National Education Policy. If there is any lack of coordination, it will be difficult to implement the education policy,' said Siddiqur Rahman of the Institute of Education and Research at Dhaka University, who was also a member on the committee that formulated the education policy.
The education secretary, Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury, and Abdul Awal Mazumder both denied that there was any lack of coordination.
'There is no lack of coordination between the two ministries. We are working together in implementing the education policy,' said Abdul Awal.
'We do not have any problem of coordination. The implementation of the education policy is a big task. It is not possible to do it overnight. We need time. We have progressed in many ways,' Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury said.
The education policy recommended extension of free, compulsory education from Class V to Class VIII and introduction of one-year pre-primary education for children over five years of age.
The cabinet on May 31, 2010 approved the education policy. The policy was adopted in the parliament on December 7.
Soruce : New Age
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