PHOTO: STAR

ANWARUL HAIDER, Noakhali

An acute shortage of teachers has long been hampering academic and administrative activities at 16 government high schools across the nine upazilas of Noakhali.

A total of 251 posts -- 16 for headteachers and 235 for assistant teachers -- remain vacant at the institutions.

The schools are Noakhali Zilla School, Noakhali Government Girls’ High School, Begumganj Government Technical High School, Begumganj Pilot Government High School, Senbag Government Girls’ High School, Senbag Pilot Government High School, Kabirhat Government High School, Subarnachar Shaheed Joynal Abedin Model Government High School, Sonaimuri Government Girls’ High School, Sonaimuri Rubirhat Bangabandhu High School, Chatkhil Panchgaon Government High School, Chatkhil Government Girls’ High School, Hatiya Town Government High School, Hatiya Oskhali Khan Saheb Syedia Government High School, Companiganj Maksudah Government High School, and Basurhat Abdul Hamid Coronation Government High School.

Teachers and students have demanded immediate appointments to the vacant posts.

Md Ruhul Amin, acting headteacher of Companiganj Maksudah Government High School, said, “Out of 27 teacher posts, only 11 are filled. It is difficult to conduct classes for 450 students with so few teachers.”

Shah Md Kalim Uddin, senior assistant teacher at Hatiya Town Government High School, said, “Of the 27 teacher posts, 24 are now vacant. We are having immense difficulties running a school of 350 students with only three teachers.”

Acting headteachers of several other schools shared similar concerns.

Due to the prolonged shortage, academic activities have been severely disrupted, said Md Nur Uddin, guardian of a student at Hatiya Town Government High School. “Students are being deprived of a proper education.”

Jannatul Ferdous, a student of Chatkhil Government Girls’ High School, said, “We don’t have enough teachers. This is adversely affecting our academic activities.”

Contacted, Mohammad Faridul Alam Hossaini, deputy director of the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education’s Chattogram office, said they were aware of the situation.

“Information regarding the vacancies was sent to the ministry last month. The ministry will take effective measures to this end. There is a directive from the chief adviser to fill the vacancies. Hopefully, appointments will be made very soon,” he said.