Primary assistant teachers announce strict programmes with deadline

A protest leader says soaring costs make it impossible to live on their small salary

Assistant teachers from government primary schools have given the government a deadline until Nov 15 to resolve long-standing disputes over pay grades and promotions.

They have announced events such as work stoppages, continuous sit-ins, exam boycotts, and a fast unto death if their three-point charter of demands is not met by this deadline.

The Primary Assistant Teachers Unity Council, an alliance of six teacher groups, announced these programmes at a press conference at the National Press Club on Saturday.

The three point demands include entry-level salary at Grade 11 instead of the current Grade 13, resolution of complications in receiving higher grades after 10 and 16 years of service and ensuring 100 percent departmental promotion.

Shahinur Al Amin, president of the Bangladesh Primary Assistant Teachers Society, a member of the platform, presented the main statement at the briefing.

He said, "Approximately 380,000 primary assistant teachers across the country are working with dedication and sincerity to improve the quality of education and successfully perform nationally important duties.

"However, it is extremely regrettable that the dignity and financial security of primary school assistant teachers have never been properly considered. Opportunities must be created for teachers to work with sincerity for the improvement of education quality. Education development is not possible without improving the social and economic status of teachers."

He added, "You will be surprised to hear that an assistant teacher's pay scale is Grade 13 with a basic salary of Tk 11,000. A teacher receives a total salary of Tk 17,650. With the rising cost of goods and increased expenditure in every aspect of life, it has become impossible to live on this small salary."

Anisur Rahman, president of the Bangladesh Primary Teachers Society, another group under the platform, announced the programmes at the press conference.

He said if the three demands are not met by Nov 15, a half-day work stoppage will be held on Nov 23 and 24, a full-day work stoppage on Nov 25 and 26, and a sit-in outside the Directorate of Primary Education on Nov 27."

"If there is no visible progress or announcement to meet the demands during this period, then there will be an exam boycott and an indefinite hunger strike starting from the 11th of December."

The programmes are the culmination of escalating protest actions. Teachers began with one-hour work abstentions in May, progressing through half-day stoppages to full-day strikes.

Although dialogue with the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education temporarily paused the action in late May, no substantial solutions have materialised.

In April, the ministry moved to upgrade head teachers’ pay, shifting them from the 11th to the 10th grade, and from the 13th to the 12th grade.

Head teachers welcomed the move and demanded that all of them receive 10th-grade salaries retroactively from 2014. Assistant teachers, however, rejected the plan, insisting instead that their own entry-level pay be set at the 11th grade.

On Jul 28, the Finance Division approved the ministry’s proposal to raise the salaries of 65,502 head teacher posts to the 10th grade.

Bangladesh’s government primary schools total 65,567, with about 384,000 teachers employed.