School teachers’ shortage hampering academic progress in Habiganj

Media report said acute teachers’ shortage is hampering the academic progress in almost all schools of the Habiganj districts. The Government Girls’ High School in Baniachang upazila in the district has only three regular teachers while there should have been at least 11 teachers to teach 566 students. The post of head teacher and assistant head teacher are vacant for long. Teachers for important subject like English, Social Science, Biology, Business Education, and Geography are vacant. Seven part-time teachers are helping the schools but we wonder why the government is not filling up these posts.
We have now enough resources and also educated young people for new recruitment. Paucity of resources can’t be blamed to keep posts vacant. Not only this school, similar situation is prevailing in six government high schools in Habiganj districts. There is no head teacher in any of the six schools. Out of total 204 teaching posts in six schools, 116 posts are lying vacant. Year after year, lack of subject-based teachers has led to severe frustration among students, teachers and parents. Their weak foundation led them to cut sorry figure at later stages. It appears that the government lacks the capacity to hire enough teachers while our young people are falling victims of human trafficking in their desperate bid for overseas jobs.
The teacher vacant posts scenario has been highlighted in a letter to Sylhet Department of Secondary and Higher Education last month. In Habigonj government High School only 26 senior and assistant teachers are working against 52 posts. There are no teachers for geography, fine arts and agriculture. A total of 19 posts are lying vacant including post of English teacher, Mathematics, Social Sciences, Religion, Physics, Chemistry and Biology.
We are appalled by the situation. We are aware of the fact that the government has enough budgetary allocation for primary education but why it can’t recruit enough teachers is a big question. The fact is that our recruitment system is plagued by pervasive corruption and abuse of power at every step. Ministers, MPs and local leaders plunge in recruitment business forcing their nominees to be hired. The primary education all over the country is plugged by mismanagement. We must get rid of the situation and sooner the better.