Home
+
Published : 13 Jul 2026, 11:17 AM
Baishakhi Pal, a Class 10 student at Sreemangal Government Girls High School, says she and her classmates face a dilemma.
“Our instructors are teaching us sincerely, but girls have many things to say that we cannot tell male teachers. Even though there is a group of Girl Guides, there is little activity due to the absence of female instructors.”
The public girls’ school in Moulvibazar, which has about 600 students, currently does not have a single female teacher. Despite the issue persisting for a long time, authorities have yet to take effective measures.
Since the death of a female teacher three years ago, no other female teachers have been posted to the school.
As a result, the students face the suffering, embarrassment, and personal, mental, and health problems of adolescence with little support from female mentors. In many cases, they have to turn to the school’s female aides and some of the older students for guidance.
The acting head teacher of the school, Md Kamal Uddin, says that although there is no deficiency in education at the school, the lack of female teachers hampers the school's ability to address students' personal and health matters and their participation in extracurricular activities.
In 1930, Radhanath Deb Chowdhury, a member of an aristocratic family in Sreemangal, established the “Dayamoyi Balika Vidyalaya” in the name of his mother. Later, in 1985, the school was nationalised and renamed Sreemangal Government Girls' High School.
The institution, which has developed a strong tradition over the years, currently has a 98 percent pass rate in the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinations, but is facing difficulties due to a teacher shortage.
Acting Head Teacher Kamal said that about 600 students are currently studying from Class 6-10 at the school. Although the school has 19 teacher posts, six are currently vacant, and there is no permanent head teacher.
He said, "Recently, a teacher of religion was sent on deputation to temporarily take charge at another school. And since the only female teacher of the school died three years ago, no other female teachers have been posted here."
The girls say that they cannot openly discuss the various physical and mental changes of their adolescence with their male teachers.
In many cases, they do not feel comfortable telling anyone about their health problems or complications. Instead, out of shame and embarrassment, they keep their hardships to themselves. Some of them say it disrupts their studies, and several students are not able to attend classes regularly.
Parents say that the absence of female teachers in a government girls' school is very worrying.
Dilip Kairi, whose daughter goes to the school, said: "In consideration of the safety, mental development and health awareness of the girls, at least a few female teachers need to be appointed on an urgent basis."
Shardiya Mollik, a Class 10 student, said: "I have been studying at this school for the past four years. I had a female teacher during this time, but she died three years ago. Since then, there has been no female teacher in the school. As a result, we are facing various problems.
"Students of Classes 6 and 7, in particular, face sudden difficulties due to their menstrual problems. Out of shame, we cannot tell our male teachers about the matter. In such situations, a female teacher is very necessary."
Abdur Rahim, the father of a Class 9 student at the school and the president of the Moulvibazar Rural Electricity Association, said: “The entire student body is made up of girls, but there isn’t a single female teacher. If my daughter has any physical problem, she has to come home and discuss it with her mother.
“But if there were female teachers at the school, then my daughter and other students could speak out about their problems.”
Dr Satyakam Chakraborty, former director of the Directorate General of Medical Education, believes that having female teachers in a girls’ school is essential to providing the necessary advice and support to girls during the physical and mental changes of puberty.
He says, “If there are female teachers, the girls can easily talk about their problems and get the necessary advice.”
Asked what kind of problems the school is facing due to the lack of female teachers, Acting Head Teacher Kamal said: “In terms of girls’ education, our school is very advanced. All the teachers here are male. Although there is no problem in terms of teaching, students cannot talk openly about various physical and personal issues.
“In addition, students have to go out to participate in various extra-curricular activities at the district, divisional or national level. In these cases, many students do not feel comfortable going with male teachers. Hence, there is a need for female teachers.”
The newly appointed head teacher at the school, Md Zahir Ali, says that the school authorities have repeatedly petitioned the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education in writing for the appointment of female teachers.
The latest letter asking for the recruitment of female teachers was sent on Mar 10 this year. Before that, on Apr 22, 2025, a decision was taken to appoint female teachers at the school during a meeting of the Sylhet Divisional Development Coordination Committee. Later, on May 21 of last year, the decision was sent to the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education. And yet, no posting has been made so far, Zahir said.
Md Yunus Faruqi, deputy director of the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education, said that if new appointments or posting opportunities arise, efforts will be made to provide female teachers to Sreemangal Government Girls High School.
“Currently, applicants are not available. Although postings have been given many times, those concerned do not want to go there,” he said.
