Primary teacher recruitment: NSI verification added, candidates anxious

Police verification for the recruitment of assistant teachers at government primary schools is now nearing completion across the country.

However, before appointment letters can be issued, successful candidates will have to undergo an additional round of scrutiny by the National Security Intelligence (NSI), marking the first time such intelligence vetting has been incorporated into the primary teacher recruitment process.

The introduction of the new requirement, coupled with prolonged delays and additional conditions imposed after the publication of the final results, has intensified uncertainty among the 14,384 candidates who were provisionally selected for appointment.

In response, successful applicants have submitted a memorandum to the Directorate of Primary Education (DPE), seeking a clear roadmap for recruitment and demanding posting to schools before undergoing professional training.

According to field-level officials, police verification procedures are in their final stages in nearly all districts, including Lalmonirhat, Thakurgaon and Tangail.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, Tangail Additional Superintendent of Police (DSB) Kazi Shahnewaz said the district primary education office had already provided the necessary information for verification.

“We are currently conducting police verification for 197 job candidates. The police department is carrying out the investigation process with utmost importance,” he said.

SM Monjure Mowla, DIO-1 (DSB) of Lalmonirhat district police, said verification of 230 provisionally selected candidates in the district was almost complete.

“Our work is now in its final phase. The police verification reports are expected to be submitted within the next one or two days,” he said.

Despite the near completion of police checks, candidates will not immediately receive appointment letters, as the newly introduced NSI verification process is scheduled to begin afterwards.

Director General of the Directorate of Primary Education, Shahina Ferdousi, told Prothom Alo on Thursday that the entire recruitment process was being conducted in accordance with ministry directives.

“Police verification is now at its final stage in the districts. After the police verification process is completed, the NSI will conduct another round of verification. Once both verification processes are successfully completed, the joining process for the selected teachers will begin,” she said.

She added that the selected teachers would subsequently undergo training and would receive their final postings upon successful completion of that training.

The final results of the assistant teacher recruitment process were published on 8 February, with 14,384 candidates being provisionally recommended for appointment.

According to officials at the ministry and the DPE, a new framework is also being introduced for confirming the appointments of newly recruited teachers.

Under the proposed arrangement, the first two years of service will be treated as a probationary period. Permanent appointment will depend on four important criteria: a favourable police verification report; a satisfactory NSI verification report; successful completion of professional training; demonstrated performance and effectiveness in school duties during the two-year probationary period.

Only candidates who satisfy all four conditions will have their appointments confirmed permanently.

Earlier, on 3 May, Education Minister ANM Ehshanul Hoque Milon told journalists during the Deputy Commissioners’ Conference at Osmani Memorial Auditorium in Dhaka that the recruitment of more than 14,000 successful candidates would proceed shortly and that no one from the approved list would be excluded.

However, he noted that certain conditions would apply.

He clarified the authorities would assess whether candidates possessed the necessary qualifications and suitability for the teaching profession. Following appointment, candidates would be sent to Primary Teachers’ Training Institutes (PTIs), and those who failed the training programme would not be eligible to continue as teachers.

“All these measures are being taken to ensure the quality of primary education in the country,” he said.

The prolonged delay and new recruitment conditions have caused considerable distress among the successful candidates.

Four months have passed since the publication of the final results, yet none of the selected candidates has been able to join their workplace. Many say they are facing severe financial hardship as a result.

Colleagues of a successful candidate from Nilphamari said the individual recently suffered a heart attack amid anxiety surrounding the delayed recruitment process.

A candidate from Dhaka district, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “We proved our merit and earned selection through a competitive process. I resigned from my previous job in anticipation of joining this one, and now I am facing acute financial difficulties. Every few weeks a new condition is introduced, leaving us deeply worried about our future.”

Another candidate criticised the changes to the recruitment framework.

“Previously, teachers were posted immediately after joining and then completed their training in stages. Now we are being told that posting will take place only after training. We strongly demand that our recruitment process be completed under the previous rules,” the candidate said.

In light of the situation, the successful candidates have submitted a memorandum to the Director General of the Directorate of Primary Education.

In the memorandum, they called for the recruitment process to be completed promptly in accordance with existing regulations. They argued that posting and joining a designated school before undergoing training is consistent with the dignity and status of a successful candidate.

The candidates also sought clarification from the authorities regarding the legal basis, necessity and expected timeframe of the newly introduced NSI verification process.