More than half of Rajshahi’s government primary schools are operating without permanent headteachers, leaving assistant teachers to shoulder much of the administrative workload.
Of the district’s 1,057 government primary schools, 589 have vacant headteacher posts, according to data from the District Primary Education Office up to June.
Only 468 of the 1,057 sanctioned headteacher posts are currently filled, meaning more than 56% of the schools are operating without permanent headteachers.
In many of these schools, assistant teachers have been assigned acting or additional responsibilities to manage administrative activities, affecting regular teaching, teachers say.
Bagmara has the highest number of vacant posts, with 145 of its 220 sanctioned positions unfilled. Godagari has 89 vacancies out of 165 posts, while Tanore has 85 out of 128.
Durgapur has 46 vacancies out of 83 posts, Puthia 49 out of 90, Paba 43 out of 83, Bagha 39 out of 74, Charghat 41 out of 73 and Mohanpur 40 out of 81. Boalia has 12 vacancies out of 60 sanctioned posts.
Discrepancy in recruitment
According to the District Primary Education Office, 80% of headteacher posts are supposed to be filled through promotion, while the remaining 20% are to be filled through direct recruitment.
Of the 1,057 sanctioned posts, 844 are designated for promotion. However, only 71 headteachers are currently working in posts filled through promotion.
Meanwhile, 213 posts fall under the direct recruitment quota, but 369 headteachers are currently working through direct recruitment, according to the office’s data.
Assistant teachers taking charge
The shortage has forced assistant teachers to take on acting headteacher responsibilities at schools across the district.
According to the District Primary Education Office, 157 teachers are currently serving as acting headteachers. Of them, 34 are in Bagmara, 20 each in Tanore and Durgapur, 18 in Mohanpur, 17 in Puthia, 15 in Paba, 12 in Bagha, 11 in Godagari and 10 in Charghat.
Acting headteachers are responsible for a range of administrative tasks, including submitting government information online, attending meetings, communicating with guardians, making administrative decisions and overseeing programmes such as mid-day meals.
Teachers say the additional responsibilities are making it difficult to maintain normal classroom activities.
Mohammad Abdul Wadud, acting headteacher of Bagsara Government Primary School in Paba, said handling the administrative responsibilities of a headteacher alongside his duties as an assistant teacher is “extremely difficult.”
“Since we do not have full authority, it is also difficult to make many urgent decisions,” he said.
Nazmul Haque, acting headteacher in the Hatgangopara area of Bagmara, told Dhaka Tribune that the responsibilities of a permanent headteacher and an acting headteacher are not the same.
“Many administrative complications arise while serving in an acting capacity. If the government wants, it can appoint acting teachers as headteachers. But we do not understand why they are not being relieved of their acting duties,” he said.
Harun-ur-Rashid, president of the Rajshahi District Assistant Teachers’ Association and general secretary of the Primary Teachers’ Association, said promotions had remained suspended for a long time due to litigation.
“Now assistant teachers are being asked to submit their ACRs (annual confidential reports) for the past five years. We hope the government is working on the issue and that the problem will be resolved soon,” he told Dhaka Tribune.
Rajshahi District Primary Education Officer AKM Anwar Hossain said the higher authorities had been informed about the vacant posts.
“We hope the ministry will take steps on the matter soon,” he said.