Eje económico.

1. issues and constraints in the country’s Teacher

Professional Development

Despite recognition and strong emphasis in the NEP 2010 of the crucial role of sufficient number and quality of teachers, teacher education and training in both preservice and in-service stages did not get additional attention in terms of planning and budget allocation. In-service teacher training is often project-based and uncoordinated, resulting in inequitable access and unnecessary disruption of classes. It does not help that there is no reliable database on the training needs and profile of teachers. This boils down to the fact that there is no development policy specific for teacher education and professional development. This task has fallen to the NTEC, which is now under review and assessment for improvement in terms of staffing and capacity.

In formulating a policy framework for teacher education and professional development, there is a need to consider other impending reforms in the country’s education system. Among these is the proposed changing of the country’s education system from the three- tier (primary, secondary, and higher secondary) structure into a two-tier (primary and secondary) structure, as well as the education and training for preschool teachers.

The absence of a clear policy framework for teacher education and training has precluded a solid direction for development planning and programming, as well as sufficient budget allocation necessary to increase the capacity and quality of service delivery among the teacher training institutions. Instructional materials and facilities are not adequate or optimized. There is no definite budget allocation for regular in-service teacher training and the project-based in-service training is not linked to any attractive promotion or incentive system. As salaries are low, teachers often resort to private tutoring to augment income.

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The preparation of teachers before entering the service has been an issue in Bangladesh. The period of professional training is short, only 1 year (C-in-Ed and BEd). However, this is not compulsory to enter into service and can be done after appointment. In addition, secondary education teachers are required to have a graduate degree while primary education teachers only need an HSC. There is a need for a more rational preservice education system that should involve better management and an improved curriculum that integrates academic content and pedagogical education.

And while nongovernment secondary school teachers with or without a professional degree need to be registered at the NTRCA to be hired, no registration is required for government school teachers. A registration system for both government and private school teachers can help uphold standards.

On top of all issues on teacher education and training is the need for rational institutional arrangement and coordination and governance, including supervision and monitoring of teachers’ performance. A list of teaching competencies that will serve as teacher

performance standards for teachers in Bangladesh has yet to be developed. This will also be the framework by which preservice and in-service education and training will be designed. In the absence of teacher performance standards, there is a lack of a valid and reliable basis for monitoring and evaluation.

A teacher’s career path, often known as a career ladder, is important in an attractive employment environment. A profession with a good career path attracts better employees and motivates employees to attain excellence to climb the career ladder. Schoolteachers in Bangladesh have a very limited and restricted career path. Opportunities for career advancement through performance motivate people to improve their performance. A system that links the career path to teacher performance is not in place for schoolteachers in Bangladesh.

A sustainable system for continuing teacher professional development is also lacking. Teachers’ in-service training programs are mainly project based. Preservice teacher education curricula need renovation and updating. The curriculum for CPD has yet to be developed. The preservice teacher education institutions are busy supplying professionally qualified teachers to the schools. It will be difficult to establish a system of CPD only through these institutions. There should be physical infrastructure and professional staff dedicated to teachers’ professional development. A fund for teacher education and training should be allocated separately under the education budget.

Finally, a more holistic approach to teacher education and training in Bangladesh is

necessary. National-level planning should consider all potential training providers, including the universities, and assess the number of students already in the system. It will save the government a lot of money and effort if it can harness this supply of teachers from all the different providers.

2. visions for Teacher Development systems for Bangladesh

Figure A1.2 presents a model of the Bangladesh teacher education and training system as supported by the recommendations above. The NTEC will function as an umbrella organization looking after all teacher education and training concerns in both primary

Ministry of Primary and

Mass Education Ministry of Education

Would-be Primary Teachers Serving Secondary Teachers Would-be Secondary Teachers Serving Primary Teachers Universities, BOU, PTIs Universities, BOU, TTCs

PTIs, URCs, NAPE Universities, Cluster Schools, ORCs, NAEM Preservice Education In-Service Training

Appointment in Schools National Teacher Education Council Teacher Development Policy

NTSC for private schools and

madrasah (to replace NTRCA) PSC Selection DPE

and secondary education in the country. It will work in close collaboration with the two education ministries—MOE and MOPME—and their subordinate organizations (e.g. DSHE, TTCs, Directorate of Primary Education, the National Academy for Primary Education, and PTIs), as well as the universities. The NTEC will develop a teacher professional development system as one of its main tasks.

Teacher development consists of two major parts: (i) preservice education that equips future teachers with the necessary knowledge, skills, and attitudes (teaching competencies); and (ii)  in-service training programs that help teachers update their knowledge and skills according to new developments in both content and pedagogy.

figure a1.2: Bangladesh—Proposed Teachers’ Professional Development system

BOU = Bangladesh Open University, DPE = Directorate of Primary Education, NAPE = National Academy for Primary Education, NSTC = Nongovernment Teachers Selection Commission, NTRCA = Nongovernment Teachers’ Registration and Certification Authority, PSC = Public Service Commission, PTIs = Primary Teachers Training Institute, TTCs = teacher training college, URCs = Upazila Resource centers.

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After preservice education, teachers will go through the registration and selection process in the NTSC (to replace the NTRCA), the Public Service Commission, or the Directorate of Primary Education, as the case may be. The NTSC will recruit teachers for nongovernment schools and madrasah primary and secondary teachers.

A few years after joining, teachers will take in-service training courses (following a curriculum for CPD) in different in-service teacher training providers.

Figure A1.3 shows the different aspects of a teacher development policy, components, implementation strategies, and target outcomes. The envisioned Bangladesh teacher development policy will include a fair compensation package, social status, and scope for career and professional development. Preservice education and in-service training should form a major part of the policy. A monitoring and evaluation system in all aspects of teacher development shall be put in place.

It is expected that through implementation of the envisioned teacher development policy, schools and students in Bangladesh will get better teachers.

SCOPE OF TEACHER DEVELOPMENT POLICY