Teacher shortage at a Ctg govt school

CHITTAGONG, Nov 24 (bdnews24.com): Nine teachers have to work double shifts at a government school in Chittagong to make up for a 52-teacher requirement, depriving the students of a proper education. Government Mohsin High School teachers have said the situation has not improved even though they urged the establishment wing of the education ministry and the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education to act. Formed under the Government Haji Muhammad Mohsin College in 1874, the school became a separate entity in 1996 with 10 teachers for one shift. The school now has 1,040 students, in two shifts. Furthermore, the post of assistant headmaster has been vacant for 15 years. Senior teacher Minoti Datta told the news agency that there had been 14 teachers before the school was separated from the college. Four were sent to other schools subsequently but the number of teachers did not increase even after two shifts had been launched in 2008, following a government order, she added. According to the attendance register, 76 students are in grade five in the first shift and as many in second; 80 in grade six in the first shift, and 81 in the second shift; 86 in grade seven in each shift; 110 in grade eight in the first shift, and 86 in the second shift; 76 in grade nine in the first shift, and 84 in the second shift; and 107 in grade 10 in the first shift, and 92 in the second shift. Assistant teacher Mohammad Abu Taher said there had been 1,200 students in the beginning of the year. "Many guardians took their children to other schools after seeing the teacher crisis," he added. Headmaster Mohammad Abdul Latif said, "We face great difficulty managing classes for so many students with only nine teachers. Despite this, the teachers are working hard for good results." "The situation is pitiable," he added. According to the Headmaster, there are supposed to be 25 teachers and a headmaster for each shift in government schools. "Considering the regulations, there should be 52 teachers here," he said. AKM Abu Bakar Chowdhury, the guardians' representative in the school's governing body, said that in light of the teacher crisis the governing body had requested the government not to launch two shifts. "However, the authorities of the education board did not pay any heed to us," he said. "It is very difficult to ensure a standard education in the manner the school is running on now," he added. The headmaster reported that all 184 students who sat for the current year's Secondary School Certificate examination had passed. Last year, 180 of the 184 Junior School Certificate test candidates had passed, while all 160 candidates of primary terminal examination had passed successfully. Mr Abdul Latif said there has been no result from meeting several of the authorities concerned to increase the number of teachers. "Though the government appointed new teachers in 82 schools with double shifts this year, we didn't get any," he lamented.