Barely two months after issuing a notification to recruit music and physical education teachers in government primary schools, the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education has decided to scrap the plan.
The ministry’s Additional Secretary Masud Akhtar Khan confirmed the decision on Monday, saying, “A gazette was issued on Sunday amending the Government Primary School Teacher Recruitment Rules-2025.” He, however, declined to comment on why the posts for music and physical education teachers were cancelled.
Earlier, on 28 August, the ministry had issued the Government Primary School Teacher Recruitment Rules-2025, which outlined recruitment for four categories of teachers — head teachers, assistant teachers, assistant teachers (music), and assistant teachers (physical education) — in government primary schools.
Following the announcement, several religious groups and faith-based political parties demanded that the decision to recruit music and physical education teachers be revoked and that religious teachers be appointed instead.
In response to such pressure, the ministry on 2 November issued a revised gazette amending the 2025 rules. The new version no longer includes the posts for music and physical education teachers.
The amended rules also brought changes to other aspects of teacher recruitment. It states that 80 percent of head teacher posts will be filled through promotion and 20 percent through direct recruitment. To be eligible for promotion as head teacher, an assistant teacher must have at least 12 years of teaching experience.
According to the new provisions, 93 percent of all teacher recruitment will be merit-based, while 7 percent will be reserved under quotas. Of the 93 percent merit-based positions, 20 percent are reserved for graduates in science, and the remaining 80 percent for candidates from science and other disciplines.
However, the decision to cancel the recruitment of music and physical education teachers just two months after its approval has drawn criticism. Associate Professor Saiful Alam Chowdhury of Dhaka University’s Department of Mass Communication and Journalism described the move as “a sign of weakness” on the part of the unelected government.
“The unelected government wants to keep all stakeholders who can exert pressure happy,” he told TIMES of Bangladesh. “The decision to scrap the recruitment of music and physical education teachers from primary schools reflects exactly that.”
He added, “I don’t understand where religion clashes with physical education. All reputed educational institutions in the world have such non-credit courses. Religion teaches humanity and discipline — and for children’s emotional growth and disciplined development, music and physical exercise are essential.”
Professor Kamrul Hasan Mamun of Dhaka University’s Department of Physics said, “I am deeply saddened by this decision. Those who should have protested are remaining silent. It’s unfortunate.”
Earlier, several religious organisations had demanded the cancellation of music teacher recruitment in primary schools. Responding to their earlier statements, Professor Mamun had said, “Music refines the human mind. People who love music do not engage in wrongdoing, corruption or recklessness. The arguments made against music education are baseless. Many of the greatest musicians of our subcontinent were Muslims. Music makes people tolerant and balanced.”
