Govt to recruit around 9,000 religious teachers: Education Minister

Education Minister A. N. M. Ehsanul Haque Milon on Sunday said the government is considering to recruit 9,000 religious teachers in the coming days.

Responding to a supplementary question from lawmaker Monirul Haque Chowdhury during the parliamentary session, the minister said the government is working to ensure respect for the sentiments of all religions, not only Islamic education.

The second day of the 13th National Parliament session was chaired by Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed Bir Bikram.

The education minister said that during the tenure of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, the highest importance was given to primary education.

“I am very proud that former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia gave the highest priority to this issue,” he said, adding that the newly elected current prime minister is also placing strong emphasis on the same matter.

He also noted that directives have already been issued to include a 180-day programme aimed at bringing major changes to the primary education system.

The minister said that the decline in moral education and religious values in society has contributed to a rise in various forms of wrongdoing. In this context, the Ministry of Education is considering a plan to appoint 9,000 religious teachers.

However, he acknowledged that there are some complications regarding the certification of students from Qawmi madrasas and the recognition of Qirat teachers. According to him, the issue has arisen because the subject of Qirat is not included in the madrasa education system.

The minister expressed hope that the complexities related to certification would soon be resolved, allowing the decision to recruit religious teachers to be implemented.

“By religious education, we do not mean only Islamic education. We are moving forward by giving importance to the sentiments of all religions,” he added.