Major changes in primary school headmaster appointments

The Ministry of Primary and Mass Education has brought changes to the rules for the appointment of head teachers of government primary schools. Earlier, there was a provision for direct appointment of 35 percent for the post of head teacher, but the new rules have reduced it to 20 percent.

According to sources from the Public Service Commission (PSC), the old appointment rules will no longer be in force. As a result, the number of 2,169 seats allocated under the previous rules will be reduced. According to the revised rules, the PSC will soon publish a notification for direct appointment to the post of head teacher.

The ministry issued a notification titled 'Government Primary School Teacher Appointment Rules, 2025' on August 28, which will come into effect immediately. According to the new rules, 93 percent of the posts in government primary schools will be directly appointable on the basis of merit. The remaining 7 percent of the posts will be reserved under a special quota. Of this, 5 percent will be allocated for children of freedom fighters, martyred freedom fighters and heroines, 1 percent for candidates from ethnic minorities and 1 percent for candidates with physical disabilities and third gender. However, if there are no eligible candidates under the quota, the vacant posts will be filled on the basis of merit.

The notification further states that the recruitment will be based on the upazila and in some cases, the police station. Along with direct recruitment, there will be opportunities for promotion. In addition, there is a provision for reservation of posts based on educational qualification - 20 percent posts will be reserved for those with a bachelor's degree in science and 80 percent for those with a bachelor's degree in other subjects.