Kazi Nazrul Islam University struggles with acute teacher shortage
Md. Saiful Islam, JKKNIU Correspondent:
Nearly two decades after its establishment, the Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam University (JKKNIU) is still grappling with a severe shortage of teachers. Despite the steady growth in student numbers and the opening of new departments, the faculty strength has remained far below the required level. As a result, teaching, research, and overall academic activities are being disrupted.
According to the university’s 2025 annual report, 10,809 students are currently enrolled at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Based on international standards, the university should have at least 540 full-time teachers, one for every 20 students. In reality, there are only 220 faculty members, and many of them are on study leave, reducing the effective number even further.
University records show that nine out of 26 departments and institutes have five or fewer teachers. The situation is particularly critical in some cases Institute of Nazrul Studies currently has no faculty members. Department of Population Science has eight approved positions, but four teachers are on leave. Philosophy, Marketing, and Anthropology departments have only four teachers each. Film and Media Studies has only five teachers. Statistics and History each have only three teachers. Management and Sociology departments are functioning with just two teachers each.
University Grants Commission (UGC) has instructed universities to implement Outcome-Based Education (OBE), which requires at least 15–16 faculty members in every department. With the current staffing level, meeting this requirement appears impossible.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Md Jahangir Alam acknowledged the crisis, “We are aware of the shortage in several departments. We have informed the UGC repeatedly and sent formal letters. Although we have received assurances from them, no progress has been made so far. Without UGC’s approval, we cannot appoint new faculty members.”
Students say they are the ones most affected by the shortage. With only a handful of teachers in many departments, guest lecturers from other departments and universities are often brought in. Even then, syllabuses remain incomplete, examinations are delayed, and results are often published late.
Md Yusuf, a first-year student in the Department of Sociology, said, “Regular classes and exams are not being held. As a result, we are falling behind. Whenever we raise complaints, the administration only points to the shortage of teachers.”
Ratul Rahman, a fourth-year Marketing student, said, “One teacher has to spend too much time covering extra classes. This reduces the quality of teaching and undermines the university’s primary purpose of generating knowledge.”
Teachers themselves are equally concerned.
Dr Md. Abdul Momen, Chairman of the Department of Marketing, said, “Each 20 students should have one full-time teacher. But in many departments, hundreds of students are being taught by only two to four teachers. In our department, just four faculty members handle 25 courses across five batches. This makes it very difficult to maintain academic standards. Organising seminars, conferences, or conducting research is almost impossible.”
Dr Muhammed Shamsuzzaman, Chairman of the Department of History, added, “Teachers are the main channel of knowledge transfer. But here, one teacher has to handle classes, grading, research, question setting, and administrative duties all at once. With so few faculty members, quality education is disrupted, and UGC’s OBE guidelines cannot be properly implemented.”
Due to the ongoing teacher shortage, students are unable to complete their courses on time. Irregular classes and exams are leading to session jams, while research and innovation are being sidelined. Teachers and students alike warn that unless urgent recruitment takes place, the university’s academic standards will continue to decline.
