Secondary education in turmoil over DDO change

Staff Reporter :

The office of Director (College) has recently been given authority over nine regional offices of Deputy Director (Secondary), undermining an administrative structure that has existed since the British period.

On 10 August 2025, the Budget Branch of the Ministry of Education sent a letter to the Ministry of Finance, making the Director (College) the Drawing and Disbursing Officer (DDO) of both his own office and that of the Deputy Director (Secondary). Teachers and officers argue this violates decentralization policy, contradicts rules, and disrupts long-established authority.

According to the Bangladesh Civil Service (Education: General Education) Rules (1980-81), the School and Inspection Branch is one of three branches, with the Regional Deputy Director as its highest post. Traditionally, this office functioned as the regional arm of the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE), with the Deputy Director serving as DDO. District and upazila education offices also work under this structure.

In 2016, MPO (Monthly Pay Order) work was decentralized, creating two separate offices:
Director (SESIP) handling colleges with his own staff and DDO authority.

Regional Deputy Director (Secondary) managing school-level work independently as DDO.
Now, merging DDO authority into one post disregards this separation, leaving secondary teachers and officers vulnerable. Legal provisions also require cadre rules to be amended before such posts can exist, but this has not been done. High Court directives have clearly stated that existing powers of an office cannot be curtailed through new provisions.

The Bangladesh Government Secondary Teachers’ Association and regional Deputy Directors have demanded cancellation of the order, restoration of authority to the Deputy Director (Secondary), and protection of secondary-level administration. Reports show that some Regional Directors even obtained DDO IDs directly from the AG office before official approval, halting financial activities of Deputy Directors’ offices.

Secondary-level teachers and officials claim this is the latest example of discrimination. They highlight existing problems: entry-level grade 9 posts, limited promotions, unresolved time-scale and increment issues.

and absence of senior teachers as Upazila Secondary Education Officers. Now, with the transfer of DDO authority and attempts to place project-based officers into district education offices, resentment is growing.

Teachers argue that according to the National Education Policy 2010 and Public Administration Reform Commission recommendations, an independent directorate for secondary education is overdue. While separate directorates for primary, madrasa, and technical education exist, secondary education – the largest and most important level – remains neglected.

Currently, out of 700 government secondary schools, over 300 head teacher and 500 assistant head teacher posts are vacant. District education offices also face severe staffing shortages. With 22,000 of the country’s 26,000 institutions at secondary level, DSHE has only three officers (one Deputy Director and two Assistant Directors) to oversee them. This shortage has led to administrative collapse.

Secondary teachers and officers conclude that without an independent Directorate of Secondary Education, the system cannot be modernized or upgraded to global standards.