The National Primary Education Academy Bill, 2024 was passed in Parliament on Wednesday, bringing the National Primary Education Academy in Mymensingh under a law. The Academy had been established under an Ordinance.
State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Rumana Ali moved the Bill and it was passed by voice vote.
According to the objective of the Bill, National Academy of Primary Education is a national-level training and research institute under the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education located in Mymensingh.
In 1978, this institution was established under the name of Academy for Fundamental Education under the Ministry of Education.
The institution was renamed as National Academy of Primary Education in 1985 and it has been functioning as a statutory body since October 1, 2004.
One of the responsibilities of this academy is to organise various short-term trainings including basic training for about five lakh field-level teachers under the Directorate of Primary Education, conduct research to improve the quality of primary education, provide basic training for teachers held in PTIs, prepare resource books and instructor guides for trainees, conducting examinations with academic supervision of basic training and issuing certificates to successful trainees.
Several training and research institutes were run in Bangladesh under The Government Educational and Training Institutions Ordinance, of 1961.
But at present, the said institutions have enacted separate laws to carry out relevant activities such as the National Planning and Development Academy Establishment Act, 2018.
National Primary Education Academy, Mymensingh, with the prior approval of the 14-member Board of Governors, constituted under the powers conferred by the said Ordinance; Resolution 2004 enacted a resolution and the National Academy of Primary Education is currently operating as per the directives provided by the resolution.
It is expedient to enact a law for the National Academy of Primary Education as it is necessary to conduct systematic training and research activities for the implementation of the National Primary Education Curriculum. Recruitment of manpower is not possible due to the lack of the National Academy of Primary Education Act or Rules.
Officials under various Ministries/Organisations/Department of Primary Education are appointed and join the Academy on deputation, but as most of the officers do not have research and training work experience, it is not possible to involve them in the core work of the Academy.
Due to the lack of rules and regulations of the National Academy of Primary Education, or NAPE, problems are also created in the promotion, transfer, posting, orderly arrangements, and administrative activities of National Academy of Primary Education employees, while pensions and gratuity allocation code are withheld by the Finance Ministry.
It was thus thought to be imperative to enact a separate law to strengthen the legal basis of NAPE, including its own manpower recruitment, promotion and settlement of financial matters.
As per the specific directives of the Act/Rules, the National Primary Education Academy would function as a fully autonomous organisation and can contribute significantly to the domestic and international arena as a national training and research institute.
