The post of headmaster of 23 government primary schools in Tarash of Sirajganj district has been vacant for a long time. On the other hand, as the posts of headmaster are vacant, various administrative problems are appearing in the schools where there are vacancies for various office work including teaching in the classroom. Even though the schools are closed for Covid-19 pandemic, the problem will become more visible after reopening, the parents said.
According to Tarash Primary Education Office, there are 136 government primary schools in Tarash upazila. Of these, 23 government primary schools have vacancies for headmasters. Basically, in the last seven to eight years, 23 posts have become vacant due to retirement, death and non-appointment of head teachers in various government primary schools of the upazila. And in all those government primary schools, the senior assistant teacher has been given the responsibility of acting head teacher. And they are holding the post of head teacher.
But the acting headmasters are not able to give regular lessons in the classroom while doing polymath office work in government primary schools. Again, having one vacancy in the post of head teacher means that there is no vacancy for one teacher in the school. In addition, the manner in which a regularly trained headmaster can efficiently run the school and run the school efficiently is not the case for an acting headmaster in many cases.
In this regard, in 2013, only one direct head teacher was appointed from the Department of Primary and Mass Education, but in the last seven years, no direct head teacher has been appointed. Due to this, the vacant post of headmaster in government primary schools has not been filled in the last seven years. In this way, the concerned department is trying to make the senior assistant teachers work in those government primary schools with the responsibility of acting head teacher.
Again, in June 2018, the Department of Primary and Mass Education gave 49 senior assistant teachers in 49 government primary schools of Tarash upazila the current responsibility of head teacher. Although they performed their current duties as head teachers with an additional allowance of one thousand five hundred rupees, they have not yet been made permanent as head teachers.
In this context, Tarash Upazila Primary Education Officer Akhtaruzzaman said 23 senior assistant teachers have been given the responsibility of acting headmaster in 23 government primary schools in Tarash upazila. Even then, some problems remain in office work and teaching. But in this case, upazila authorities have nothing to do. Because the matter of appointment and promotion of regular head teachers is under the purview of the Department of Primary and Mass Education.
