A so-called “syllabus” has allegedly been imposed on young students in Boalmari, with allegations against an influential teachers’ syndicate of collecting lakhs of taka through its sale, despite primary education in government schools being free and run under government-approved curriculum.

Although government primary education is supposed to be entirely free and operated according to the prescribed curriculum, a different picture has emerged in Boalmari.

Without any legal validity or directives from the education authorities, the privately prepared “syllabus” has allegedly been made mandatory for nearly 15,000 students of 102 government primary schools in the upazila.

The practice reportedly began centring on the terminal assessment examinations that started on 7 May.

Students of classes one and two were charged Tk20 for a 4-5-page syllabus, while students from classes three to five were charged Tk30 each.

Teachers from different schools in the upazila, particularly regarding children of classes one and two, expressed frustration over the necessity of such a syllabus.

Students including Sohana and Samia Akter said they were charged Tk20 and Tk30 for the syllabus, which they had never been required to purchase before.

Head teacher of Chholna Model Government Primary School, Md Mosharraf Hossain said there is no provision for such a syllabus in the policies of the education department.

However, he alleged that several influential teacher leaders pressured schools into compelling students to purchase it.

Boalmari Assistant Upazila Primary Education Officer Md Wahid Khan said, “I have no involvement in the matter. You should speak to those responsible. I know nothing about it.”

Boalmari Upazila Primary Education Officer Md Zakir Hossain said, “The education department has no connection with this syllabus. It has no place in our academic curriculum. If the government or the ministry had considered it necessary, official directives would have been issued. Those responsible implemented it without any official approval.”

Boalmari Upazila Nirbahi Officer SM Rakibul Hasan said, “I have learned about the matter. Appropriate action will be taken against those involved. As soon as I came to know of the incident, I instructed the upazila primary education officer to investigate the issue.”