Why scrapping of music teacher post in pry schools not illegal: HC

Bangla Press Desk: The High Court on Monday issued a rule asking the government to explain why the notification amending the Government Primary School Teacher Recruitment Rules 2025, which removed provisions for appointing music and physical education teachers, should not be declared illegal.

The HC bench of Justice Fahmida Quader and Justice Md Asif Hasan came up with the rule following a writ petition.

Education, and primary and mass education secretaries, and the chairman of the Bangladesh Public Service Commission were asked to respond to the rule within two weeks.

Supreme Court lawyer Barrister Sarwat Siraj Shukla filed the writ petition and presented arguments in favour of the petition in the court.

On 2 November, the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education issued a gazette notification amending the Government Primary School Teacher Recruitment Rules, removing provisions for appointing music and physical education teachers at primary schools. The amendment came amid pressure and protests from several Islamic organisations, which had demanded the inclusion of religion teachers instead.

The original recruitment rules, published on 22 August, introduced four positions under Schedule-1: head teacher, assistant teacher, assistant teacher (music), and assistant teacher (physical education).

Under the amended regulations, only head teacher and general assistant teacher posts remain, with all references to music and physical education positions eliminated. 

The amendment also corrected a phrasing error regarding merit-based allocations, ensuring that 80% of common posts could be filled by candidates with degrees in ‘science and other subjects’. 

The government’s decision sparked widespread criticism from different quarters across the country. This article was originally published on the Daily Sun.

BP/ZE