A pro-opposition teachers' platform on Tuesday asked the government to scrap a proposed education policy, saying it will affect Islamic values and cause job losses to around 350,000 teachers. The BNP-backed Shikkhok Karmachari Oikyo Jote at a news conference also vowed to prevent the new education policy from being implemented 'at any cost'.

"It can be called a partisan education policy. It will affect the values preached in Islam. So it cannot be implemented," principal Selim Bhuiyan, chief coordinator of the platform, claimed. He urged the prime minister not to execute the policy.

Bhuiyan claimed some 350,000 teachers will lose jobs if the proposed policy is implemented, without further clarifying the issue. He said they would sit with the parliamentary standing committee on education ministry and political parties to pursue their demand.

Storming to power in early January, Awami League formed the National Education Policy Formulation Committee-2009 headed by national professor Kabir Chowdhury. The committee handed over its report to the prime minister on Sep 4 through the education ministry.

The national committee recommended, among other things, formation of a national education commission, upgrading of primary education up to class VIII, extension of secondary education up to class XII, and introduction of some compulsory identical subjects at all levels.

The recommendations are available on the ministry's website for public feedback until Sep 30. The education minister Nurul Islam Nahid on Monday told bdnews24.com, "We are getting huge responses with requests for extension of the deadline for giving opinions."

-bdnews