73 Hossainpur schools without permanent headteachers
A shortage of headteachers and assistant teachers has disrupted teaching and administrative activities at government primary schools in Hossainpur upazila of Kishoreganj, with 73 of the 110 institutions lacking permanent headteachers.
According to the upazila education office, 38 schools are operating with teachers assigned to additional charge, while 73 are being run by acting headteachers.
The shortage of teachers and school leadership has made it increasingly difficult to ensure regular classroom instruction and maintain discipline.
Senior assistant teachers entrusted with acting responsibilities are struggling to manage both academic and administrative duties.
Hossainpur Upazila Primary Education Officer Md Sadekur Rahman said the vacancies had accumulated over the years due to a lack of new recruitment, the suspension of assistant teachers’ promotions and teachers’ retirement. Transfers, deaths and complications related to court cases have also contributed to the vacant posts.
The situation has been further complicated by the absence of permanent guardians’ committees in more than half of the schools, making it difficult to maintain discipline and uphold overall educational standards.
Upazila Primary Education Officer Md Sadekur Rahman said he had found several headteacher posts vacant after joining the upazila due to retirements, transfers, deaths and complications related to court cases.
“A list of the vacant posts has been sent to the higher authorities,” he said.
Despite the manpower shortage, efforts are underway to improve the quality of education, the education officer said, expressing hope that the problem would be resolved soon through the prompt posting and promotion of teachers to vacant positions.
In the absence of permanent headteachers, senior assistant teachers have been assigned additional charge or appointed acting headteachers based on seniority.
They must handle administrative responsibilities alongside their regular teaching duties, increasing their workload and affecting classroom instruction.
Several teachers, requesting anonymity, said the arrangement had created a leadership crisis in many schools.
“Many teachers are reluctant to follow the instructions of acting headteachers, while those entrusted with the responsibilities often face indecision in carrying out their duties,” they said.
They added that managing schools in a disciplined manner had become increasingly difficult and called for the prompt promotion of eligible assistant teachers to headteacher posts.
Guardians Saiful, Dulal and Khairul Islam said the absence of headteachers in most primary schools in the upazila was affecting students’ studies and disrupting discipline.
Although many teachers arrive at school on time, classes are not being conducted properly, they alleged, adding that students were gradually losing interest in attending school.
They further claimed that only five to 10 students were present in some schools, despite official records showing enrolment of more than 50 students.
The poor state of classroom instruction has prompted many guardians to enrol their children in private educational institutions, they said.
During visits to several schools, and found that classes in some institutions were being conducted by only two or three teachers. Regular teaching was reportedly being affected as other teachers remained occupied with administrative duties.
The shortage of both headteachers and assistant teachers has created serious challenges in managing academic and administrative activities, leaving students deprived of necessary classroom instruction.
Teachers and guardians have called for the immediate promotion of assistant teachers to headteacher posts, alongside the recruitment and posting of assistant teachers to fill vacant positions.
