From then on, all aspirant private school teachers will have to be registered with the agency to be set up by the education ministry, probably by March, under a Tk 630 crore project styled 'Teaching Quality Improvement in Secondary Education'.

The Executive Committee on National Economic Council (Ecnec) yesterday approved the project.

However those who are already working as private school teachers will not need registration immediately. They will be given training by the new agency and then be registered in phases, said an education ministry source.

The registration and certification agency will aim at creating a pool of teachers for the private schools to recruit from. It has been alleged these schools often hire faculty members under pressure from lobbyists and through 'donations'.

The agency will frame a training policy. The aspiring and working teachers will be given training at the 24 government teachers training institutions in the country. The results of their training will qualify them for registration, or inclusion in the pool.

Besides the government, Asian Development Bank and Canadian International Development Agency (Cida) are funding the five-year project. ADB will provide Tk 400 crore, Cida Tk 104 crore and the government the rest.