The Ministry of Primary and Mass Education has canceled the newly created post of assistant music teacher in government primary schools, following organized objections and public pressure from several Islamic religious groups, including Hefazat-e-Islam and factions of Islamist political organizations. The ministry has also withdrawn the post of assistant physical education teacher introduced in the same recruitment rules issued in August 2025.
These changes were made in an amendment to the Government Primary School Teacher Appointment Rules-2025, gazetted on Sunday. The original rules had created four categories of assistant teacher positions; the amended rules now include only two categories, removing music and physical education entirely. Although officials avoided directly acknowledging the political pressure, the timeline and public statements of religious groups make the influence clear.
Criticism from conservative religious actors centered on the claim that teaching music to children is “anti-Islamic,” and demands were made to replace music teaching with increased religious instruction. Organizations such as Hefazat-e-Islam and Jamaat-linked teacher groups held press conferences, issued public statements, and pushed for the removal of the new posts, framing music education as a threat to religious identity—despite music being an established part of both Bengali cultural heritage and global primary education pedagogy.
The elimination of these posts has raised concern among educators, cultural workers, and child development specialists, who note that music and physical education are essential components of early childhood cognitive, emotional, and social development. Critics argue that this decision reflects a narrowing of education policy under pressure from ideological groups, rather than student-centered planning or evidence-based learning goals.
This incident also signals a broader trend of shrinking cultural space and the increasing vulnerability of education policy to religious extremism and political bargaining, which may have long-term consequences for the country’s cultural identity, creativity, and educational equality.
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