Rajshahi Correspondent:

As many as 389 government primary schools in Rajshahi district are operating without a head teacher, leading to administrative stagnation and disruptions in classroom activities.

According to the Rajshahi District Education Office, there are 1,057 government primary schools across the city corporation and nine upazilas of the district.

Of them, over one-third currently lack permanent head teachers.

Of the 389 vacant posts, 61 are pending due to ongoing legal disputes, while recruitment and promotion processes in the remaining 328 schools have remained stalled for years.

As a result, assistant teachers are having to step in as acting heads – albeit with limited administrative authority.

“The absence of a head teacher has shifted the entire burden on us,” said Nofura Khatun, an assistant teacher at Bhalam Bhabanipur Government Primary School in Paba. “Yet, we are unable to make key decisions. Teaching has taken a backseat.”

Masuma Akter, acting head teacher at Kalupara Madhaipara Government Primary School, echoed similar concern. “We can’t take policy decisions as acting heads. This affects discipline, the learning environment, and students’ behaviour.”

The situation is most severe in Bagmara upazila, where 97 schools lack head teachers.

Other affected upazilas include Godagari (71 schools), Tanore (62), Charghat (38), Puthia (27), Bagha (22), Paba (21), Durgapur (21), Mohanpur (20), and Boalia in Rajshahi city (10).

Shahidul Islam, a parent from Nowhata Municipality, said, “To whom will we report problems if there is no head teacher? It creates confusion and lack of accountability.”

Md Harun-or-Rashid, president of the District Assistant Teachers’ Association, said, “There hasn’t been a head teacher recruitment since 2010. In 2018, some assistant teachers were given acting roles, but many have since retired. The crisis is worsening.”

He added that every school must have a full-time head teacher to ensure quality education.

District Primary Education Officer AKM Anwar Hossain declined to comment on the matter. However, Rajshahi’s Additional Deputy Commissioner (Education and ICT), TukTuk Talukder, acknowledged the issue. “While assistant teachers are stepping up, the lack of authority limits their effectiveness,” she said.