Responsibility of nation-building lies with teachers: Education Minister

Responsibility of nation-building lies with teachers: Education Minister

Education Minister A N M Ehsanul Haque has said the responsibility of building the Bangladesh of tomorrow must be shouldered by teachers. If every child is nurtured with care at the primary level, the dropout rate will decrease.

He made these remarks on Saturday at a discussion marking Martyrs' Day and International Mother Language Day at the PTI in Mirpur-13, Dhaka.

Speaking at the event organised by the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, the minister said, "Everyone must remain free from corruption. I was a minister for five years, yet not a single corruption case was filed against me. Everyone should remain honest from their respective positions. Financial irregularities are not the only form of corruption; negligence in performing duties is also a type of corruption. If a teacher does not dedicate time in the classroom as required, merely passing time, that too is corruption. You go to school to take classes for eight hours but fail to teach properly—isn't that corruption?"

Stressing the need to modernise the education system, he said, "To bring change in the country, utmost importance must be given to the education sector. Nurture every student as if they were your own child. I often see teachers enrolling their own children in other schools. Then the question arises—are you truly a teacher? Teachers must introspect about their responsibilities and what they aim to achieve."

Education Minister Bobby Hajjaj and other concerned officials were present as special guests at the event.