Where did all the teachers go?

Just when we were upbeat with the free distribution of textbooks to schools on a massive scale and reorganisation of examination system at the primary and junior secondary levels, this may sound a bit like an anti-climax.
Last Monday must have been a disappointing day for the students of a public primary school in Gazipur. After waiting all morning for teachers to turn up, the school's sweeper taking pity on the children, asked them to go home. Not a single teacher or even the principal of the school had come to school. Residents of the area have revealed that the principal comes to school quite late and leaves early. Teachers open and close the school according to their convenience. Meanwhile, the two hundred or so students are left in the lurch.
The fact that the children came to school shows their eagerness to learn. But with teachers as irresponsible as this school's, such enthusiasm is bound to meet an early death.
Unfortunately, this has become a general practice rather than an exception. School children all over the country are deprived of a school environment that is conducive to learning. Before, this meant dilapidated buildings, a dearth of desks, uninspiring syllabi and corporal punishment. All these things led to a large number of school dropouts, despite the increasing enrolment rates. But now it is not just the dearth of teachers that is the problem but the dearth of responsible, dedicated teachers to motivate students. This in turn relates to the pay scale and incentives given to public school teachers which, we know, far from reflect the current cost of living. Underpaid teachers have little incentive to give their best and may even try to find second jobs to make ends meet.
All said and done, however, there seems to be a decline in ethics in these institutions that requires more than just better teacher salaries. Regular monitoring and surprise visits by school inspectors have to be maintained. Errant teachers and tardy principals should be sacked.