Poor education facilities in Khagrachhari

Amtali High School in Matiranga upazila of Khagrachhari had 70 candidates sit for this year’s SSC examination. Of them, 55 failed, bringing the school’s pass rate down to just 21.43 per cent. Amtali is not the only school with such poor results; most educational institutions in the district have been performing badly year after year.

Khagrachhari falls under the Chattogram Education Board. This year, the overall pass rate under this board was 72.07 per cent. But Khagrachhari’s pass rate was only 60.77 per cent—the lowest in five years. Last year, it was 72.25 per cent.

Conversations with a local researcher, five headteachers, four teachers, two former teachers, and five parents reveal that the poor performance is largely due to teacher shortages and the lack of qualified instructors.

Because the region is remote and difficult to access, many students are unable to attend classes regularly. Poverty also prevents many parents from paying attention to their children’s studies. Teachers themselves are often negligent and lacking in dedication. Schools suffer from inadequate facilities—such as textbooks, libraries, laboratories, electricity, technology, and safe hostels—which further hampers learning. Additionally, there is insufficient administrative oversight of schools in the hill tracts.

District Education Officer Rafiqul Islam, however, said initiatives have been taken to address the teacher shortage. He claimed that given Khagrachhari’s remote, hilly context, the district’s pass rate is not particularly poor. “Still, we are working to improve the results further,” he added.

In the 2025 SSC exams, 92 institutions from Khagrachhari participated—10 government and 82 private. Of these, 33 schools had pass rates below 50 per cent. In 2024, the number was just 10.

Officials said that in private schools alone, there are about 1,500 sanctioned teaching positions, with 367 currently vacant. Among them, at least 38 English and about 70 mathematics and science teaching posts remain unfilled. The district education office, however, reported that 150 new teachers have been appointed to fill vacant positions.

At Amtali High School—where only 21 per cent of students passed—there are no teachers for mathematics, English, or science. Headteacher Ali Akkas Miazi explained, “Being in a remote area, qualified and talented candidates are reluctant to come here to teach. And many of the students enrolling after primary school already have poor educational foundations—they struggle even to read properly.”

Another school with fewer than 30 per cent of students passing was Hachinsonpur High School in Dighinala upazila. Of 108 examinees, 78 failed. Its headteacher, Debpriyo Barua, told Prothom Alo that some students had not qualified in the preliminary selection exams but were still allowed to sit for the SSC under pressure. “I was unwell and not on duty at the time, which contributed to this outcome,” he said.

Three parents said that schools lack teachers, and classes are conducted in a haphazard way. They cannot afford coaching outside school or even buy all the necessary books, which prevents their children from achieving better results.

According to the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE) and the district education office, seven of Khagrachhari’s 10 government schools are currently without headteachers. Acting officials are running the schools. Of 12 posts for assistant headteachers, only three are filled. Out of 220 sanctioned teaching posts, only 126 are occupied—leaving 94 vacant.

In Khagrachhari Government High School, 19 out of 50 positions are vacant, while Khagrachhari Government Girls’ High School lacks teachers for 18 out of 41 positions. Ramgarh Government High School has 15 vacancies out of 25 posts—including none for mathematics. At Dighinala Government High School, only three of 17 positions are filled; there are no teachers for mathematics or English.

Award-winning researcher and writer Mathura Bikash Tripura, recipient of the International Mother Language Award, said teachers from outside the Chittagong Hill Tracts rarely stay for long. As a result, English, math, and science posts remain vacant most of the time. He added that because primary education is not effectively delivered in mother tongues, students often fail to properly grasp secondary-level textbooks. Geographic isolation, poor infrastructure, poverty, child labour, as well as political and law-and-order challenges in the hill tracts are also key factors behind the persistently poor performance.