Kishoreganj school lists 60 students on paper, only 4 found in class

At Tarakandi Kurerpar Lower Secondary Girls' School in Jangalia Union of Pakundia upazila, Kishoreganj, the records show 60 students, but only four were found present in class. For those four students the school has eight teachers, and a total of 14 staff including ayahs and office assistants draw regular salaries and allowances.

Visiting the school on Thursday morning, it was found silent all around, with none of the usual bustle of students. Books meant for students were piled up in the office room, where several teachers were sitting and chatting.

Going through the classrooms, two students were found playing in the Class Six room, one student sitting in Class Seven, and one teacher taking a class for a single student in Class Eight. The school's attendance register shows no attendance recorded for anyone from last August until now.

Local residents say the indifference of the school's teachers and those involved is the reason student numbers have fallen. In their view, enrolment would rise if the quality of teaching at the school were good. Before the coronavirus pandemic, more than 20 students attended each class regularly, residents said.

According to locals, the number of students at the school has been declining for several years. After a few teachers retired, proper teaching stopped at the school, and so there are no new admissions either.

A guardian, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the school is right beside his home, yet he admitted his daughter to a school several kilometres away because the standard of education there is much better than at this school. He added that after passing Class Eight at this school a student has to move to another school anyway, so he enrolled her elsewhere from the start.

The head teacher of the school, founded in 1986, Mahfuzul Alam, said the number of girls has fallen because there are three schools and a Qawmi madrasa within one kilometre. He also said many children now study at kindergartens, which has made the problem worse this year. Because the school goes only up to Class Eight, guardians admit their children to other schools from the beginning, he said, adding that they are contacting guardians to try to get students.

Upazila Secondary Education Officer Md Omar Faruk Bhuiyan said the teachers have repeatedly been urged to increase student numbers, and officials have themselves visited the school. He alleged that the school authorities are running the institution by showing students of nearby kindergartens.

Pakundia Upazila Nirbahi Officer Rupam Das said he learned of the matter through the media. He said he would ask the upazila secondary education officer to investigate the school and take necessary action, and that he would personally monitor the follow-up steps.

Advocate Md Jalal Uddin, member of parliament for Kishoreganj-2 (Katiadi-Pakundia), said a situation where there are teachers but no students is not acceptable in any way. He said he would ask the Pakundia upazila administration to take legal action in this regard.