A government move to crack down on private tuition has been applauded in some quarters, but teachers have reacted angrily to it.

Unlike other countries where it is mainly a preserve of the wealthier classes, the practice is widespread in Bangladesh. In fact, many parents fear that their children will not succeed without it as a supplement to their regular education.

“I wanted to save money for the family, but I was forced spend it on private tuition as I felt my son might fail in class if I didn’t,” said Kawsar Ahmed, a grocer in Dhaka.

Tuition is almost invariably supplied by teachers who also have full-time jobs at schools, in either the government or the private sector. There is a frequently voiced criticism that many of the teachers are a great deal more diligent in private lessons than they are in the classroom.

“The teachers are serious in private tuition but they are indifferent in class,” said Ahmed’s son, Saurav.

Prompted by a High Court ruling last month, the government is now imposing a series of tough restrictions on the practice, with the threat of punishments for teachers who violate them.

Many parents and educationalists hope the new guidelines will help to remove the disparities between rich and poor students and lead to more equal opportunities. But teachers have called the new policy “hasty and whimsical” and are demanding an urgent review.

At a recent press conference, the Bangladesh Teachers’ Association said the government should have talked to them before formulating the guidelines.

“The new policy will worsen conditions for the teachers,” said Association president Abul Bashar Howlader. “The government should have increased their salaries before they start scrapping private tuition.”

This view is echoed almost unanimously by the teachers. “I take on private coaching, not because I’m greedy, but to look after my family,” said one. “It’s just impossible for me to live with the salary I get.”

Holy Cross Brother Robi Purification, headmaster at St. Gregory’s High School in Dhaka, welcomed the move from the government but expressed concerns for the teachers.

“I feel that education has become commercialized with private tuition and it should be stopped,” he said. “But the government needs to look at why teachers have to rely on private work.”

Abul Bashar Howlader also claimed that the distinction is not clear enough between a ban on teachers offering private coaching and on the coaching centers themselves.

“If the government really wants to stop this trend, it must state the policy clearly and all types of coaching should be banned,” said Howlader.

There are around 50,000 centers across the country, mostly in Dhaka, and private tuition has grown into a multi-million taka business. This leads some analysts to believe that business interests and influential people will make it difficult for effective action to be taken against the centers, even though an Education Ministry report earlier this year was highly critical of their standards.

Sharmistha Roy, a professor at Rajshahi University, says that no matter how hard the government tries to uproot the practice, it is not likely to go soon.

“I welcome the new law but I’m skeptical,” she said. “If the teachers are not well paid, I don’t think the situation will change.”

Related reports

Church educators decry boom in private tuition
Dhaka Catholic schools under pressure

Related reports