Photo : Messenger
The secondary education program in the Lama upazila of Bandarban has been operating without an education officer for three years, hindering education inspection and monitoring.
This version maintains the same meaning while reducing the sentence's length.
With office assistants attempting to fill this crucial role, concerns are mounting regarding the quality of secondary education in the area.
The situation is exacerbated by several vacant positions, including that of the Assistant Upazila Secondary Education Officer, Academic Supervisor, and Senior Assistant. The 44 secondary-level educational institutions in the upazila are compelled to make a daunting 100-kilometer journey to the Bandarban Sadar Education Office for guidance, causing significant disruptions in the education system and diminishing its overall quality.
Parents and educational institutions have voiced their concerns about the deteriorating state of education in Lama, calling for the swift appointment of qualified personnel to address the issue.
According to sources within the secondary education office, Lama boasts 44 secondary schools, colleges, and madrasahs, both public and private, catering to a total of 14,983 students. Shockingly, for the past three years, the upazila has operated without a secondary or assistant secondary education officer. Furthermore, there has been a four-year void in the role of an academic supervisor, with no appointments made for Assistant Secondary Education Officer and Senior Assistant. Currently, the office relies solely on office assistants to function.
Additionally, the upazila is home to 11 affiliated madrasas, four colleges, 13 junior schools, 12 secondary schools, and four madrasahs in one municipality and seven unions. With approximately 300 teachers spread across these institutions, there are seven essential posts within this office, including the secondary education officer.
The vacancy crisis began when Upazila Secondary Education Officer Md. Gauchul Azam was transferred to Begamganj in Noakhali in October 2020, and the position remained unfilled until October 31 of this year. In addition to the secondary education officer's role, other crucial positions, such as Assistant Upazila Secondary Education Officer, Academic Supervisor, and Senior Assistant, have also remained vacant, while the office relies solely on office assistants and guards.
Bandarban District Education Officer Md. Farid Ul Alam Hossaini has stepped in to take on the duties of the Secondary Education Officer, covering Naikhongchhari, Lama, and Rowangchari upazilas in addition to his district-level responsibilities. This added workload has created challenges in fulfilling his obligations. The absence of secondary education officers has left principals and teachers at educational institutions unable to make important decisions, forcing them to seek solutions from office assistants.
Upazila Chairman Mustafa Jamal expressed concern over the inability to make crucial education-related decisions in the absence of a secondary education officer. Headmasters of Lama Adarsh Girls High School, AM Imtiaz, and Yangcha High School, Mufiz Uddin, emphasized the need for urgent problem resolution by visiting the Bandarban Sadar Education Office.
Shipak Barua, the office assistant at the Lama Upazila Secondary Education Office, confirmed the dire situation, stating that for the past three years, the office has been functioning with minimal staff, causing significant challenges.
Bandarban District Secondary Education Officer Md. Farid Ul Alam Hossaini revealed that a demand letter for filling the vacant positions in Lama and other upazilas has been forwarded to the DG office, offering hope that a resolution to this crisis is on the horizon.
Messenger/Rafiqul/Sun Yath
