Teacher shortage hampers education : Only two teachers for over 100 students at Pashchim Alinsgar Amjadia Govr Pry School
Anwarul Haque Nizami, Mirsarai (Chattogram)
Teaching activities at the historic Pashchim Alinagar Amjadia Government Primary School in Mirsarai Upazila’s No. 1 Karerhat Union, Chattogram, are being severely disrupted due to a shortage of teachers.
With approximately 125 students, the school operates with only two teachers: Acting Head Teacher Ishrat Jahan and Assistant Teacher Nasima Akter. The acting head teacher is often occupied with administrative duties outside the school, leaving most classes to be managed by a single teacher. Against seven sanctioned teacher posts, five remain vacant. In January, one assistant teacher resigned after securing another job.
Investigations reveal that established in 1935, this school is among the oldest in the upazila. However, it is currently in a precarious state due to the teacher shortage. The number of students is declining as parents are transferring their children to other schools. Last year, the school had 155 students, which has dropped to 125 this year.
Parent Nur Alam said, “The teacher shortage has been disrupting classroom activities for a long time. While Karerhat Government Primary School in the same union has nine teachers, our village school has only two. This disparity in teacher allocation must be addressed.”
Another parent, Shakhaowat Hossain, added, “The quality of education is deteriorating. If this continues, I will have to enroll my children elsewhere. How can a school function with just two teachers?”
Acting Head Teacher Ishrat Jahan stated, “I was assigned the role of acting head teacher in mid-January. Although there should be seven teachers, we have only two. Conducting classes under these circumstances is extremely challenging. When one of us is ill or away for official work, the situation becomes even more difficult. We have discussed this with the Upazila Education Officer, who has assured us of resolving the crisis.”
Upazila Primary Education Officer Fazlul Karim said, “Some of our schools are facing teacher shortages. A new teacher was appointed to this school, but they did not join.
We have raised the issue with higher authorities. The recruitment and transfer process is ongoing. Once completed, we will try to deploy at least one teacher to the school on deputation.”
