DHAKA, Sept 12, 2026 (BSS)- The government has chalked out a specific action plan to execute Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s 15-point directives to improve the quality of education particularly ensuring politics-free environment in educational institutions.

Under the action plan, field-level work has begun to introduce uniform lesson plans and class routines in schools and colleges across the country.

The plans include ensuring quality teaching in classrooms, monitoring teachers’ classroom activities live, expanding sports and co-curricular activities alongside encouraging students to attend schools, imparting subject-based teacher training and introducing reward for good performance.

Work has also started on the proposed establishment of a dedicated National Education TV Channel.

Secretary of the Secondary and Higher Education Division Abdul Khaleque told BSS that ensuring quality education is one of the major commitments of the present government.

He said relevant offices and agencies under the Ministry of Education have already been instructed to implement the Prime Minister’s directives through a time-bound action plan.

An official of the Secondary and Higher Education Division told BSS that work on formulating a code of conduct for MPO-listed teachers has begun following the Prime Minister’s directives.

A draft in this regard has been prepared and is being reviewed. The final rules will be formulated after necessary revisions, he said.

There is a common view that teachers’ excessive involvement in political activities and lack of accountability made them becoming less attentive towards their professional duties in recent years, resulting in poor academic outcomes.

Dhaka Education Board Chairman Professor Syed Aktaruzzaman told BSS that teachers cannot avoid responsibility for poor results in educational institutions.

“In the past, we have seen teachers becoming more focused on political activities than classroom. This has had a negative impact on overall academic results. Ensuring teachers remain free from political activities in educational institutions and their accountability is now a demand of the time,” he said.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman visited the Ministry of Education on July 28 last and gave the officials 15-point directives for improving the quality of education.

He had asked the officials to place their opinions and proposals for improving the quality of secondary education, preventing dropout, enhancing teacher skills and addressing the existing challenges in the education sector.

According to the working paper presented at the meeting, officials said the lack of enjoyable learning, poverty, child marriage, dependence on coaching and smart phone addiction were contributing to the rising secondary school dropout.

They also pointed to a growing tendency among working parents to send their children to Qawmi madrasahs for security reasons.

To address the challenges, officials recommended revising the code of conduct to prevent teachers from directly engaging in politics, constitute a ‘teacher pool’ with retired teachers to address shortages of mathematics and science teachers, introducing an ‘end-line survey’ to assess training outcomes, centrally monitoring classroom teaching through CCTV cameras, launching a ‘National Education TV Channel’ and introducing uniform lesson plans.

Based on the proposals and discussions in the meeting the Prime Minister issued the 15-point directives, sending a ‘record of notes’ from the Prime Minister’s Office to the Ministry of Education with instructions to take necessary action.

The 15-point directives are:

1. Expanding the opportunities for sports, cultural activities, drawing, mathematics Olympiads and other co-curricular activities alongside academic studies to encourage students to attend school.

2. Amending the teachers’ code of conduct to ensure a politics-free environment in educational institutions and keep teachers free from non-academic activities.

3. Implementing time-bound uniform lesson plans and class routines nationwide to ensure regular classroom teaching.

4. Examining the feasibility of establishing a dedicated National Education TV Channel’ so that students from any part of the country can have access to classes conducted by the best teachers.

5. Monitoring classroom teaching online through technology-based monitoring systems.

6. Preparing and gradually implementing a comprehensive plan for quality and effective training to enhance teachers’ skills.

7. Examining the feasibility of using unused buildings under different ministries for teacher training until dedicated training institutes are built.

8. Filling up vacant posts quickly to address shortages of mathematics, English and science teachers and provide teachers with specialised subject-based training.

9. Encouraging the teachers to develop teaching and leadership skills by introducing medals and rewards in recognition of good performance.

10. Expanding opportunities for technical, technology-based and employment-oriented education in line with labour-market demand and students’ abilities and interests.

11. Establishing a central research database for formulating education plans, giving priority to local needs.

12. Ensuring that teachers make classroom teaching attractive by taking necessary preparations and using appropriate teaching materials.

13. Taking initiative to develop an integrated digital platform for teachers’ training and professional development.

14. Ensuring immediate evaluation of training programmes so that the practical impact of training is reflected in classrooms.

15. Arranging ‘Teachers’ Exchange Programmes’ to disseminate good practices and successful experience of teachers across the country after training.

The ministry has tasked the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE) for implementing and monitoring the progress of the Prime Minister’s directives.

The DSHE in a meeting on August 20 last has drawn up a time-bound action plan in this regard and assigned responsibilities to different wings of the directorate.

Under the action plan, the DSHE officials said AI- and technology-based teachers training will begin this September. However, under an ICT project, 305,288 teachers and officials have already received training.

Besides, work is also underway to launch a ‘Master Trainer Pool’ and a ‘Teachers’ Exchange Programme’ involving skilled teachers, while a uniform lesson plan is being prepared in coordination with the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB).

To strengthen digital monitoring at the field level, updating the WhatsApp numbers of head teachers in the Personnel Data Sheet (PDS) has been made mandatory.

Assistant directors of the DSHE will directly monitor classroom teaching through live video calls using the ‘DMS App’.

The report also said specialised training would be provided to address shortages of mathematics, English and science teachers, while medals and awards would be introduced under new categories during National Education Week to recognise teachers’ good work.

A draft action plan for launching the ‘National Education TV Channel’ using the technology of Sangsad Television has also been finalised. An instructions have been issued at the field level to ensure co-curricular activities as well.

DSHE Director General Professor Dr Professor Dr Khan Moinuddin Al Mahmud Sohel told BSS that they have distributed the work among different wings, setting specific deadlines for each of them.

Focal person for monitoring implementation of the Prime Minister’s directives Shawkot Hossain Molla said, “We are directly monitoring how each institution is carrying out the assigned tasks.”

Some decisions were short-term and could therefore be implemented quickly, while some activities are underway, he said.