Legal complications stall appointment, promotion of 87,000 teachers: education minister

"The government is working with the goal of making teaching enjoyable for students," he says

Nearly 87,000 teaching and school leadership positions across Bangladesh have remained tied up in legal and administrative complications, delaying appointments and promotions, Education Minister ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon said.

On Sunday, the minister said the primary education sector is grappling with around 40,000 vacant teaching positions.

Efforts to recruit another 47,000 teachers and head teachers have been stalled by litigation and bureaucratic complications, he added.

"Altogether, we are unable to recruit or promote staff for nearly 87,000 positions. This has become a major challenge," Milon said at a UNICEF event at Sheraton Dhaka.

He said the appointment of around 32,500 head teachers has been held up for more than three years by unresolved court cases.

Nearly 83,000 cases involving the education ministry are pending before the courts, constraining decision-making across a wide range of issues, according to the minister.

Milon criticised the interim government for what he described as a rushed effort to recruit approximately 14,500 primary school teachers.

"I do not know why they were in such a hurry to select teachers overnight. Questions have therefore been raised about their quality," he said.

He said the government is reviewing the recruitment process while simultaneously sending the selected candidates for training and appointing them on two-year pro-contracts.

The minister said the government is working to make learning more enjoyable for students and plans to incorporate sports and cultural education into the curriculum.

He said the government has launched multiple initiatives to improve pupil retention at the primary level, including distributing school uniforms and broadening access to school meal programmes.

Authorities are also giving special attention to improving sanitation facilities.

Milon said the current government has proposed the largest education allocation in the country's history, accounting for 2 percent of the national budget.

"Despite this, our learning outcomes are still not satisfactory," he said.