257 Nilphamari pry schools without headmasters

Two hundred and fifty-seven government primary schools in the district are running without headmasters for one to five years as the vacancies caused by retirement or death have not been filled up.

In the absence of regular headmasters, an assistant teacher is serving as headmaster in each of those schools, resulting in indiscipline in official activities as other teachers of the same rank are reluctant to follow his directives.

According to the district primary education officer (DPEO), there are 939 government primary schools in six upazilas of the district, of which only 682 have regular headmasters.

The number of schools without headmasters is 31 in Kishoreganj upazila, 75 in Jaldhaka, 45 in Dimla upazila, 50 in Domar, 47 in Sadar and nine in Saidpur upazilas.

Acting headmaster of Bahalipara Government Primary School in Jaldhaka Shahidul Islam said his school has 500 students. Eight teachers, including a headmaster, are needed for teaching the students, but there are only six teachers, he added.

President of the school management committee Obaidur Rahman said there is no co-ordination among the teachers in absence of a regular headmaster.

Acting headmistress of Dakkhin Ramnagar school in Sadar upazila Sabina Yasmin alleged that her fellow teachers of the same rank do not follow her instructions.

It was learnt from the district education office that only 27 new headmasters were appointed directly through written test in 2012, but appointment has been stalled since then.

As per government rules, 65 percent of headmasters are to be appointed through promotion of senior teachers and rest 35 percent are to be appointed directly, but no appointment or promotion has been given due to various complexities.

District President of Government Primary School Teachers' Association Abdur Rashid said they raised the issue in the headmasters' monthly meetings several times, but to no avail.

District Primary Education Officer Dilip Kumar Bonik said they have informed the higher authorities. They hope that appointment of headmasters will start soon, he added.