State Minister for Education Ehsanul Haque Milon stated this in the Jatiya Sangsad yesterday in reply to a question from Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker A M Riasat Ali Biswas.

Responding to a supplementary from Abu Syed Mohammad Shahadat Hossain, he said there are 251 government colleges and 317 schools in the country. He said that the government has no plan to nationalise any more schools and colleges now.

He said the government has attached top priority to education and made highest allocation for education in the current budget and it has also taken various measures including introduction of festival bonus and pensions for the teachers of private schools and college.

The state minister, replying to another question from treasury bench member Mohammad Delwar Hossain Khan Dulu, said that departmental actions would be taken immediately if any government schools and college teachers were found involved in commercial coaching or private tuition. Replying to another question from Awami League lawmaker Advocate Rahmat Ali, he told the House that 2,690 educational institutions were established in the country during 2002-04.

In reply to a supplementary from Awami League lawmaker Faruque Khan, he said the government has already taken steps to constitute a pool that will provide certificates for the private teachers, which will be mandatory for their appointment to the private educational institutions.

Responding to a question from Jamaat-e-Islami member Mia Golam Parwar, he said that the government has no plan at present to raise the age limit for government school and college teachers to 65 years from 60. He, however, said contract basis appointments are being given to English, Mathematics and Science teachers.