Students of the government primary schools under Ishwardi upazila of Pabna district are not getting proper education due to acute shortage of teachers there.
Some schools have only 3 to 4 teachers for more than 300 students. Besides many of the schools do not have headmaster for quite a long time which is hampering both educational and official activities of those schools. Acording to Ishwardi Upazila Education Office, there are 100 government primary schools in the upazila. Some 51 posts of teachers, of which 12 are headmasters and 39 are assistant teachers, have been vacant for quite a long time.
Teachers of different primary schools told this correspondent that due promotion to headmaster from asistant teacher has remained shut for around six years in the government primary schools of the upazila which has added to the existing crisis of shortage of techer.
Acting headmaster of Varoimari Matalpara Government Primary School assistant teachr Milon Kumar Bhowmik said his school has only three teachers against 5 posts for 86 students. There was no solution of the crisis despite informing the upazila education office.
Pakuria Government Primary School under Lokkhikunda Union has only five teachers for 313 students. Posts of headmaster and an assistant teacher have been vacant for around four years. Acting headmaster of the school Md Kamruzzaman said he has been working as the acting headmaster of the school for four years.
“As per the rules, a teacher should teach at best 40 students at a time. But we are teaching more than 60 students. In this situation it’s not possible to give them proper education. As a result, assesment process of lesson is also being hampered. Besides, administrative activities of the school are also being troubled,” he said.
Upazila primary education officer Mrinal Kanti Sarkar told Bangladesh Post that he is aware of the shortage of teacher but that’s not anything big. The list of the vacant posts has been sent to the district education office and the appointment process has already been started, he added.