Teachers, not just students, drop out of schools  

The fallout of the pandemic is forcing many private school teachers to desert the ‘noble’ profession, a stakeholders’ meeting in Chattogram was told on Saturday.

Such vulnerable people, the participants observed, are joining the occupation of lower echelon and monetary return and even the army of the new poor created by the situation.

Some teachers, students and social activists pointed out that despite the opportunity of technology-based education, they cannot take advantage of the situation due to a widening digital divide inn society.

“A lot of private school teachers – from kindergarten to high schools – are facing economic uncertainties and turning into a new group of poor and being compelled to embrace low-quality jobs,” Hossain Zillur Rahman, Executive Chairman of Power and Participation Research Centre (PPRC), said summing up the discussion.

Head teachers of both urban and rural areas, some university teachers and students and social workers attended the roundtable held at the Chattogram Research Initiative office and shared their experience and views of educational activities affected by the pandemic.

Based on social interactions, the economist mentioned that many final-year students of universities cannot complete their degree due to their engagement in different works and the Covid-19 has aggravated the situation.

“It’s a matter of serious concern that there are apprehensions of mental health epidemic of the students due to the trauma they are facing during the current pandemic,” he added.

In this context, Mr. Zillur Rahman, also convenor of the Research Initiative, announced the decision to carry out a research based on stakeholders’ survey and relevant statistics within next two-three months to understand the ground reality of education facing the students and teachers.

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