A total of 49 out of 205 posts of headmaster at high schools have remained vacant for a while in Lalmonirhat, hindering both the educational and administrative activities of the institutions.
Thirteen posts at Lalmonirhat sadar upazila, 11 at Aditmari, 10 at Kaligon, eight at Hatibandha and seven posts at Patgram upazila are lying vacant, according to sources at Lalmonirhat district education office. Currently, the schools which do not have headmasters are being run by their acting headmasters and the fact is that most of these acting headmasters are not qualified for the post.
Sources said the acting headmasters are grasping the post by flattering the managing committee members.
Most of the acting headmasters have no expertise or they have no knowledge about school administration or the rules and regulations of the education board, though a person must have to work as assistant headmaster for several years to be a headmaster.
Arsadul Islam, a student of class VIII at Anando Bazar Junior High School in Lalmonirhat sadar, said the students of the school are not getting regular classes as their class teachers are evading their duties in unison with the acting headmaster.
“Our school is being run by the acting headmaster for the last two years. The acting headmaster cannot maintain the chain of command in the school,” he said.
Haider Ali, an assistant teacher of Jongra High School alleged that in most of the schools, despite having many other skilled teachers, some greedy teachers, through unfair means, take the acting head posts and realize their self-interest which mars the overall progress of the institutions.
Sohidar Rahman, an assistant teacher of Ananda Bazar Junior High School in Lalmonirhat sadar upazila, told the Dhaka Tribune that assistant teachers were unable to have their say as they think that the headmasters could potentially land them in hot water by lodging false complaints about them with the committee members.
The Lalmonirhat District Education Officer Moslem Uddin acknowledged the matter and said all of the vacant posts will be fulfilled during the current fiscal year.
