395 of Panchagarh's 663 Primary Schools Have No Regular Head Teacher

Nearly 60 percent of government primary schools in Panchagarh district are running without a regular head teacher. Of 663 government primary schools across the district's five upazilas, the head teacher post is vacant in 395.

According to the district primary education office, regular head teachers are working in only 268 schools. Of the 395 schools with vacancies, assistant teachers are carrying out current-charge duties in 160, while the remaining 235 are being run by acting head teachers.

By upazila, the post is vacant in 71 of 112 schools in Atwari and in 49 of 74 schools in Tetulia. In Debiganj, 104 of 142 schools have no head teacher; in Panchagarh Sadar, 66 of 164 posts are vacant; and in Boda, 105 of 171 posts are vacant.

Rajmahal Government Primary School in Hafizabad Union of Panchagarh Sadar upazila is 13 kilometres from the district town. With no head teacher there, an assistant teacher serving as acting head teacher is handling the school's administrative and official work.

The same situation exists at Mohanpur Government Primary School and Mohammadpur Government Primary School in Haribhasa Union. Assistant teachers there must prepare official papers, run administrative work and travel to the education office when needed, making it difficult to find enough time for classroom teaching.

Keramat Ali, acting head teacher of Rajmahal Government Primary School, said he was given acting charge without promotion, while his pay grade remains that of an assistant teacher. Those given current charge receive a separate allowance of 1,500 taka, but he said he does not receive even that allowance. He called for the crisis to be resolved quickly through promotions.

Tajul Islam, assistant professor of political science at Panchagarh Maqbular Rahman Government College, said primary education is the foundation of a student's education, and a deficit in teaching at this stage can affect later education as well. A vacant head teacher post also negatively affects a school's overall education management, he said.

District Primary Education Officer Yakub Ali said head teacher recruitment and promotion have been stalled since after 2010, and in 2018 current-charge duties were given in some schools. Promotions were mainly blocked by case-related complications, but those complications have now been resolved and the promotion process is under way, he said.

Yakub Ali added that once promotions are completed, no school will be left without a head teacher.