Dulal Mia, Sunamgan
Sunamganj a district surrounded by vast haor wetlands, lags far behind the national average in terms of education. The literacy rate here is among the lowest in the country, and the standard of education continues to decline. The dropout rate is also on the rise. Moreover, the activities of primary education offices have become increasingly weak.

Out of 63 sanctioned posts for Assistant Thana Education Officers (ATEO), only 19 are currently in service. Poverty, poor transportation in remote areas, lack of infrastructure development, social unawareness, and teacher shortages have pushed the primary education system of Sunamganj into a fragile state.

According to analysts, one of the key reasons for the backwardness of primary education in the district is the severe teacher crisis. Due to the shortage of teachers, regular academic activities are being seriously hampered. The situation is even more alarming in remote, haor-surrounded schools. Many institutions are being run with only two or three teachers, while some schools are managed by just a single teacher. This has had a negative impact on the overall education system, experts noted.

Concerned citizens have urged the authorities to take immediate steps to resolve the teacher crisis in order to improve the quality of education in the haor region.

According to sources at the District Primary Education Office, there are 1,475 primary schools in Sunamganj. Against the total sanctioned posts in these institutions, about 1,000 positions for head teachers and assistant teachers remain vacant. More than 300 schools are operating without a permanent head teacher, with acting teachers carrying out both administrative and academic responsibilities.

In some cases, due to training or transfers, only one teacher is left in charge of an entire school—over 20 institutions are in such a state. However, the authorities claim that additional teachers from nearby institutions are being temporarily assigned to keep the academic activities running.

District Primary Education Officer Mohon Lal Das stated that recruitment activities will begin soon to resolve the shortage. The Directorate of Primary Education is preparing to publish a new circular for teacher recruitment by mid-September. He expressed hope that once the recruitment process is completed, the teacher crisis in Sunamganj will be resolved.

The issue of the district’s declining education standards was also highlighted in a recent seminar organized by the District Administration. Various stakeholders emphasized that the improvement of primary education is essential for the overall development of the haor region’s education system.