School students of Jhenaidah are failing to receive adequate training on the subject of arts and crafts, as there is not a single specialised teacher at the 261 non-government high schools and madrasas that are spread across the district’s six upazilas.
The crisis worsens by the fact that over 25,000 students of these schools and madrasas are set to sit their Junior School Certificate and Junior Dakhil Certificate examinations that start on November 4, without proper preparation on the subject.
Some guardians of Kanchannagar high school in Jhenaidah said their children were not provided with enough education on the subject of arts and crafts.
Teachers who taught other subjects filled in for the arts and crafts class, and the examinees may face difficulties in the upcoming tests as the subject was not properly taught to them, the concerned guardians said.
Sources at the office of the District Education Officer said the number of high schools and madrasas in Jhenaidah sadar upazila was 70 including two nationalised ones, 51 in Sailkupa, 39 in Harinakundu including a nationalised one, 41 in Kaliganj, 22 in Kotchandpur, and 40 in Moheshpur upazila.
A total of 21,274 examinees will sit for the JSC exams from the schools, while 4,084 madrasa students will sit for their JDC tests.
Nasim Uddin, headmaster of Salimunnessa Girls School under Kaliganj upazila, admitted that students would face difficulties in getting good grades, as there are no specialised teachers for the subject of arts and crafts.
Sumon Hossain, a student of Naldanga Bhusan Pilot School, said the students were unlikely to get good marks in arts and crafts, as they were not taught the subject properly.
District Education Officer Moksedul Islam said no teacher was sanctioned for any non-government high schools in the district, while two teachers were sent for two government schools in the district headquarters.
Meanwhile, Additional Deputy Commissioner Sheikh Rafiqul Islam said the JSC examinations would be held in 25 centres, while the JDC examinations will take place at nine madrasas in the district. The local administration will take necessary measures for ensuring peaceful examinations as per the education board’s schedule, he added.