KAMALGANJ, MOULVIBAZAR, Oct 22: A total of 52 government primary schools in Kamalganj Upazila of the district are running without head teachers.
There are 152 government primary schools in the upazila. A total of 52 posts of head teachers and 36 posts of assistant teachers are lying vacant.
School sources said, these 52 schools are running with acting head teachers. These posts have been lying vacant for a long time.
Due to lack of head teachers and assistant teachers, academic activities are hampered in the schools.
According to sources at Upazila Primary Education Office-Kamalganj, 52 schools out of total 152 government primary schools in nine unions and one municipality are running with acting head teachers. There are 774 posts of assistant teachers in these 152 schools. Of these, 34 posts of assistant teachers are vacant.
These 152 schools have 22,336 students including 51 students handicapped.
Besides, there are 76 private schools in the upazila having 9,687 students including 11 handicapped. These are run by NGOs and tea gardens.
A guardian of Kechuluti Government Primary School Popi Aktar Doli said, it is necessary to quickly appoint the head teachers to ensure quality education and bring back sound academic environment. If not, the primary education will be seriously hampered, she added.
On condition of anonymity, a number of acting head teachers said, senior assistant teachers are acting as head teacher; but they are not getting much benefits. They have to spend additional office time, according to official instructions, they added.
They further said, it is hampering academic activities. They demanded filling the head posts on seniority basis.
Acting head teacher of the school Amena Begum said, "For a long time, I have been serving as acting head teacher. I have to attend classes in addition to official work. Yet I am trying to keep the education quality."
"There are 268 students in my school. It is not enough to run the school by six teachers. Besides, they all are women. Women may have different problems. If two more male teachers are appointed, it will be better."
Kamalganj Upazila Primary Education Officer Saiful Islam said, lists of vacant posts of head teachers and assistant teachers have been sent to the authorities concerned. Also a list of assistant teachers has been sent to the Department of Primary Education for their promotion to head teachers, he added.
He further said, to fill the vacant posts of assistant teachers, the process is going on. These vacant posts will be filled up in a short time, the official maintained.
