Education Minister Dr ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon has announced that coaching centres will be brought under a formal legal framework, stating that such institutions cannot continue operating outside regulation.

“If laws apply to the establishment of schools and colleges abroad, coaching centres within the country cannot remain beyond legal oversight,” he said today (15 April) while addressing a meeting with centre secretaries of the Sylhet division ahead of the upcoming Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and equivalent examinations.

The minister stressed the need to reduce students’ dependence on private coaching centres by strengthening academic support within their own institutions.

He urged head teachers to identify students who are weak in specific subjects and arrange in-house remedial support within schools.

He also suggested that a small additional fee could be collected to provide honorariums for teachers, which would discourage students from seeking external coaching.

Addressing the recent debate on online classes, the minister said he is personally not in favour of online education. However, he acknowledged that adapting to digital learning is unavoidable in the current global context.

“Most stakeholders have expressed opposition to online education. I also do not prefer it, but the world is moving in that direction, and we must adapt,” he said.

The minister also outlined plans to introduce a hybrid education model in the future, combining in-person classroom teaching with online learning from home.

He expressed hope that such a blended approach would ensure continuity in students’ learning.