Gaibandha:A significant number of primary schools in Gaibandha are currently operating without head teachers, affecting both classroom teaching and administrative activities. Out of 1,464 government primary schools in the district, 758 are without a head teacher, creating challenges particularly in remote and char areas.
According to United News of Bangladesh, these vacancies are distributed across all seven upazilas in the district. In Sundarganj, 89 out of 259 schools lack head teachers, while Saghata has 111 out of 171 schools in a similar situation. Sadullapur has 82 out of 199 schools, Palashbari has 125 out of 215, Gobindaganj has 164 out of 270, Fulchhari has 81 out of 129, and Gaibandha Sadar has 106 out of 221 schools without head teachers.
Assistant teachers have been taking on the roles of acting head teachers in these schools. However, local residents have raised concerns that this arrangement has negatively impacted supervision and regular teaching, as well as administrative duties. Some schools reportedly operate only nominally, with acting head teachers occasionally attending due to other commitments.
Md Saiduzzaman Sakar, chairman of Mollarchar Union Parishad, expressed concerns about the lack of attention to the education of children in char areas. He alleged that some teachers primarily visit schools to sign attendance registers for their salaries, and acting head teachers often sign in bulk before attending to personal matters.
The issue is particularly acute in 165 char-area primary schools in Saghata, Fulchhari, Sundarganj, and Gaibandha Sadar upazilas. Local representatives have urged for permanent appointments or suitable local arrangements to ensure head teachers remain present in their schools.
Gaibandha District Primary Education Officer Lakshman Kumar Das confirmed that the vacant head-teacher posts are being filled by acting head teachers. He stated that the situation has been reported to higher authorities, with a request for recruitment to fill these positions. The ongoing vacancies have raised concerns about the quality of education and school management, especially in the district's remote char areas.