TDS Desk:

The Ministry of Education has ordered private educational institutions to stop recruitment for the posts of principals and vice principals.

The government has taken a policy decision to conduct the recruitment process for the posts of principal and vice principals of private schools; principals and vice-principals of colleges, and superintendents and assistant superintendents of madrasahs through the Non-Governmental Teachers’ Registration and Certification Authority (NTRCA), the ministry’s Secondary and Higher Education Division (SHED) said.

Syed AZ Morshed Ali, deputy secretary of the department’s private secondary unit, told on Monday: “An office order has been issued instructing a halt to recruitment for the posts of principal and vice principals of private educational institutions.”

SHED published the order on Monday.

The order, issued on Oct 5, announced the new procedure and also called a halt on recruitment to these posts.

Education Advisor Chowdhury Rafiqul Abrar said at a programme on Sunday that an initiative had been taken on appointments through the NTRCA.

He said it was done to “establish leadership based on merit” in private educational institutions.

Although the NTRCA is responsible for recommending candidates for the posts of entry-level teachers and lecturers in private educational institutions, the power to appoint principals and vice principals previously rested with the board of directors.

At a workshop organised by NTRCA on Sept 30, Chairman Md Aminul Islam said that it had been decided to conduct the recruitment recommendation process for the posts under the supervision of the government and the Ministry of Education had formed a committee to determine the process or authority through which this process would be conducted.

The committee will determine the manner in which appointments will be made to these positions, he said.