Education Minister Dipu Moni informs us that more teachers will be recruited in order to ensure transparency and quality in the nation's education system. That is a welcome move, seeing that in the recent past a number of questions have arisen about the fall in the quality of instruction imparted to the young in our schools. We cannot but recall the many instances of question papers being leaked, even at the initial levels of school education, without any effective measures being taken to deal with the issue. It is a problem which the new minister must now handle. It is a job that will sorely test her in the weeks and months ahead. But if she can cause a turnaround in education and take it back to the high standards which it used to enjoy, the nation will certainly profit from it.

In these past many years we have seen an avalanche of GPAs and Golden GPAs, giving people the impression that education was achieving high standards that were clearly a reflection of the strides the country was making in the field. However, as events have by now shown, such achievements among students at the SSC and HSC levels were reflected in their efforts towards going for higher education. There have been instances of students scoring exemplary GPAs at the HSC level and yet finding it extremely difficult to qualify for admission to university. That was not only unfortunate but also brought into question the very quality of education being imparted to the young. Minister Dipu Moni will be doing the country a favour by looking at the issue.

It will certainly be a boon to education if teachers of high calibre and dedication are recruited for schools around the country. The process of recruitment should fully examine the ability of prospective teachers to contribute to the enhancement of quality among our little boys and girls at the many levels of school education. It must also be ensured that no corrupt means are employed in the recruitment process so that genuinely deserving candidates are not deprived of the opportunity to serve our education system. And while we are on the subject, we need to suggest that the emphasis on education should not only be on achieving high scores but also on a grasp of such vital subjects as literature, language and history, among others. If the young qualify at school and college without any understanding of national heritage and without any command of general knowledge, the purpose of education will be defeated.

It is imperative that we build a system of education that will produce knowledgeable, intelligent and smart citizens ready to meet the world on their terms.

By Editor-in-Chief -Enayetullah Khan