HC ruling on headteacher recruitment stayed

The Supreme Court’s Chamber Court has stayed the High Court verdict concerning the recruitment of headteachers at privately run MPO-listed secondary schools, clearing the legal hurdle for the scheduled viva voce examinations from October 15.

Chamber Judge Justice Md Rezaul Haque passed the order on Tuesday (October 6) following an application by the National Teachers’ Registration and Certification Authority (NTRCA).

However, the court ordered that 46 posts be kept reserved for the 46 teachers who had filed the writ petition before the High Court. The issue of the reserved posts will be finally decided by the Appellate Division’s regular bench during the main hearing.

According to case documents, the NTRCA amended the eligibility requirements for headteacher recruitment on March 25, 2026, amid a large number of vacancies at MPO-listed secondary schools. The amendment required candidates to have a total of 18 years of experience.

Previously, the 2025 manpower structure required 15 years of experience, including three years as an assistant headteacher.

Twelve teachers initially challenged the new requirement before the High Court. The number of petitioners later rose to 46. After hearing the case, the High Court made the rule absolute and scrapped the March 25 amendment.

The state subsequently filed an appeal against the High Court verdict, leading to Tuesday’s stay order.

According to information provided by the attorney general, a recruitment circular issued on January 29 listed 10,278 vacancies for headteachers at secondary schools under the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education.

There were also 3,131 vacancies for principals, vice-principals, superintendents and assistant superintendents under the Directorate of Madrasa Education, and 150 vacancies for principals and superintendents under the Directorate of Technical Education.

The total number of vacancies stood at 13,559 and could rise to around 15,000, officials said.

The chamber court’s order allows viva examinations and subsequent recruitment procedures for candidates who passed the written test to proceed as scheduled, excluding the 46 reserved posts.