The Ministry of Education is giving the authority to recruit entry-level teachers at private schools and colleges to the institutions’ managing committees. As a result, the Non-Government Teachers’ Registration and Certification Authority (NTRCA) will no longer recommend candidates for teacher appointments. The Ministry of Education has reportedly taken a final decision in this regard.

The decision was taken at a meeting on August 3 at the conference room of the Secondary and Higher Education Division of the Ministry of Education Secretariat, where the overall activities of the NTRCA were discussed.

At the meeting, Education Minister Dr ANM Ehsanul Haque Milon said that from 2005 until before 2015, the NTRCA only conducted teacher registration and certification activities. After the authority began recommending candidates for appointments beyond its capacity in 2015, various complications, lawsuits and deadlocks emerged.

A copy of the meeting minutes has been obtained by Jago News. According to the document, Education Minister Dr ANM Ehsanul Haque Milon, Secondary and Higher Education Division Secretary Abdul Khaleq, NTRCA Chairman (Additional Charge) Alif Rudabas and other relevant officials attended the meeting.

According to the minutes, the NTRCA chairman informed the meeting that under the Non-Government Teachers’ Registration and Certification Authority Act, 2005, and the Non-Government Teachers’ Registration Examination and Certification Rules, 2006, the authority is required to assess candidates’ eligibility for registration and certification as teachers at non-government educational institutions and conduct examinations at least once every calendar year for this purpose.

Under the Non-Government Teachers’ Registration and Certification Authority Act, 2005, the NTRCA will henceforth only conduct registration and certification activities. It will no longer recommend candidates for appointment under the 2015 circular. Necessary steps will be taken to implement the decision.

The NTRCA last published a recruitment examination notice in 2023. Against this backdrop, a notice for the 19th NTRCA Teacher Registration Examination for entry-level positions will be issued.

Sources present at the meeting said Education Minister Dr Ehsanul Haque Milon reiterated that the NTRCA had only conducted registration and certification activities from 2005 until before 2015. The introduction of recruitment recommendations in 2015, beyond the authority’s capacity, subsequently resulted in various complications, litigation and administrative deadlocks.

The minister further said that the elected democratic government is working tirelessly to run the state effectively and establish a healthy and functional education system. To resolve the NTRCA’s current deadlock, he proposed returning to the previous system, under which the NTRCA would only handle registration and certification, while certified teachers would be selected by the respective managing committees or governing bodies of educational institutions.

All participants at the meeting agreed with the minister’s proposal.

According to the decisions recorded in the meeting minutes, teacher recruitment will be conducted through the managing committees of educational institutions from the 19th teacher registration examination onward. The NTRCA will no longer recommend candidates for appointment. Necessary amendments to the relevant laws will be made to implement the decision.

The meeting minutes state: “Under the Non-Government Teachers’ Registration and Certification Authority Act, 2005, the NTRCA will henceforth only conduct registration and certification activities. It will no longer recommend candidates for appointment in accordance with the 2015 circular. Necessary steps must be taken in this regard.”

The meeting also decided that 9,842 candidates who passed the 18th teacher registration examination will be appointed at educational institutions of their choice through their own initiative and through the respective managing committees or governing bodies. Necessary circulars and gazettes will be amended or issued to implement the decision.

Several officials of the Ministry of Education said that, according to the decisions recorded in the meeting minutes, teacher recruitment will be carried out through institutional managing committees from the 19th teacher registration examination onward. The NTRCA will no longer make recruitment recommendations, and the relevant laws will be amended accordingly.

The NTRCA was established in 2005. During its first decade, the organization only conducted teacher registration examinations and issued certificates. On December 30, 2015, it began recommending registered teachers for direct appointment to educational institutions. The system helped ensure teacher recruitment without bribery, benefiting a large number of candidates. So far, the authority has recommended 177,571 teachers for appointment.