At a time when Bangladesh’s education system is struggling to equip its young people with the skills needed for a rapidly changing world, we find it deeply concerning that many government schools lack adequate, qualified teaching and administrative staff. According to a report by Prothom Alo, there is a shortage of 2,842 teachers in government secondary schools in the country. There is a stark crisis in leadership as well, with 383 headteacher posts and 249 assistant headteacher positions remaining vacant. Given the country’s large pool of qualified young people struggling with unemployment, it is difficult to understand why the government has failed to fill these vacancies, especially when expediting recruitment would only strengthen our education system.
The classrooms are already facing the consequences of these shortages. Many government schools reportedly struggle with a teacher-student ratio of 1:37, with some institutions struggling with a greater disparity. This disparity exceeds the government recommendation of one teacher for every 30 students and directly impacts the teachers’ capacity to offer quality instruction, limits their ability to provide extra attention to students who may need it, and hampers their work-life balance due to a heavier workload. What is most frustrating is that many schools have reportedly submitted requests to the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE) year after year seeking additional teachers, but their appeals have largely gone unanswered.
The crisis seems to have spilled over into various corners of the education sector. For instance, all 10 deputy director posts at the nine regional offices of the DSHE and its headquarters are being filled by officials serving in an acting capacity. Furthermore, one-third of district education officer posts are vacant, along with all school inspector positions. Meanwhile, a considerable emphasis has been placed on infrastructure development, which, although necessary, appears ironic against the backdrop of a persistent personnel crisis.
Therefore, we strongly urge the government to prioritise addressing the gaps and human resource shortages currently suffocating the government secondary schools before more students bear the brunt of this avoidable crisis.
In addition, teachers’ frustration with low wages and limited opportunities for career progression must be addressed, along with the eradication of alleged corruption in the sector. While the increased allocation for education in this year’s budget offers reasons to be optimistic, only a tangible change could restore our confidence, and the government can start by addressing the persistent shortages plaguing the sector.
