Ten teachers for 3900 students!

Academic activities at Sunamganj Government Women's College, the district's lone women's college, are being hampered due to an acute crisis of teachers.

The college was established in 1986 and nationalised in 1997. There are 3,900 students in HSC and BA classes.

There are 56 teaching posts for 14 subjects at the college, but only 10 teachers, including the principal, are working there now. There are no demonstrators in seven subjects of science group. There has been no teacher for one and a half years in chemistry department, four years in physics department, two and a half years in political science department and four months in mathematics department.

The pass rate in public examinations has been coming down every year, college sources said, adding that 175 out of 739 students failed in the HSC exams this year. In the science department, 58 out of 89 students failed.

Popy Akhter, a student of HSC first year, said only a few classes are held.

Sajna Akhter, a student of BA second year, told this correspondent that they are deprived of getting regular teaching due to a lack of teachers.

Students, mostly from haor areas, are fully dependent on class teaching as they cannot afford private coaching, she added.

Professor of Geography and Environment Department Md Sahadat Hosain said they are trying to cope with the problems caused by the shortage of teachers.

“We the 10 teachers are struggling to cope with the unusual workload as most of the teaching posts are vacant,” he added.

Principal Prof Porag Kanti Deb told this correspondent that he wrote several letters to the Ministry of Education, seeking appointment of teachers to vacant posts, but has not received any response yet.