Loss of ethics in education system broke nation's backbone over 17 years: Rizvi

BNP Acting Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi today (19 September) said the country's education system had been "treated like a plaything" for the past 17 years, mostly under the ousted Awami League regime.

He said merely constructing large buildings or developing infrastructure does not make an educational institution; dedicated teachers are needed to ensure the quality of education.

He also called for close attention to ensure that no student drops out of education for any reason.

Rizvi made the remarks as the chief guest at a reception and scholarship distribution programme at Keraniganj Mohila Degree College.

The programme was organised to award crests and scholarships of Tk 5,000 each to 114 students from Keraniganj upazila who achieved outstanding results in the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examination.

Highlighting the importance of education, Rizvi said such programmes for meritorious students were highly commendable.

"But it is a matter of great regret that the importance of education for a nation was not properly considered in the past. For the past 17 years, the education system was treated like a plaything," he said.

He further alleged that a tendency to make students pass examinations through unethical means had turned the nation's "human backbone" into a "plastic backbone" during that period.

As a result, Bangladeshi students have fallen considerably behind in international competition, he said.

Referring to the current government's education policy, the prime minister's adviser said students were now being genuinely evaluated on the basis of merit, without favouritism or irregularities.

He said the government was committed to promoting women's education and that the education system for female students up to the BA (Honours) level would soon be made completely free.