The Amgaon Bargao Government Primary School in Sonargaon upazila of Narayanganj district. Photo - UNB._11zon
Academic and administrative activities at 63 out of 113 government-run primary schools in Sonargaon upazila of Narayanganj district are severely hampered, as more than half of these institutions have been running for years without permanent head teachers.
The leadership vacuum has led to a major crisis in primary education, deeply concerning parents and local communities about the quality of instruction for the country’s future generations.
Currently, locals said, assistant teachers are forced to operate as acting headmasters, struggling to balance critical administrative duties with their primary responsibility of classroom teaching.
They said this dual role is proving unsustainable and is directly disrupting regular education.
Morsheda Akhter, the acting head of Parameshwardi Government Primary School, shared the heavy burden. “At least 10 days every month I have to remain busy with official work at the upazila office, leaving classes seriously disrupted,” she said.
Echoing this frustration, Muslima Akhter, acting head of Amgaon Bargao Government Primary School, noted she is required to be at the upazila office from the third to the ninth of each month.
Consequently, she cannot conduct regular classes, which significantly harms students’ studies.
Shah Alam, acting head of Ladhurchar Government Primary School, corroborated the sentiment, stating that the immense administrative workload leaves him with little time for classroom teaching.
The problem is not new for many schools.
At Tekpara Government Primary School, acting head teacher Saleha Akhter revealed that the school has been without a head teacher for a significant three years.
With a minimal staff of only four teachers, she explained, “it has become very difficult to run the school properly, and students’ learning is suffering.”
Parents are increasingly worried. Rabiul Islam, the father of a fifth grader, lamented that teachers are "Overstretched and one teacher often has to handle multiple classes at the same time. This situation is directly impacting the quality of education provided.”
According to the upazila primary education office, the root of the crisis lies in a centralised administrative bottleneck.
Sonargaon Upazila Education Officer Shafiqul Islam Sarkar acknowledged the gravity of the situation, saying that the recruitment and promotion of head teachers is a national matter. “Unless promotions are cleared centrally, local vacancies cannot be filled. This has aggravated the crisis,” he added.
Guardians and local community members, expressing grave concern over the situation, have urgently called upon the authorities concerned to fill the vacant posts with qualified teachers soon to ensure smooth education and secure the future of the nation’s students. - UNB