Move to raise primary school teachers’ salary draws mixed reactions

An advisory committee recommends abolishing the post of assistant teacher and Grade 12 pay scale for entry-level teachers

The primary education authorities have taken the initiative to adjust the pay scale of government primary school teachers to raise their salaries.

The salaries of head teachers of Grade 11 will be upgraded to 10th and 13th grade teachers to Grade 12 following the initiative by the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education.

The head teachers expressed satisfaction with the move and demanded salary benefits in the 10th grade since 2014.

However, assistant teachers were not happy with the development and demanded they be paid in the 11th grade of the pay scale.

Rebeka Sultana, joint secretary of the ministry’s School Wing, told bdnews24.com on Monday that the Directorate of Primary Education has been asked to send a proposal to raise the head teachers’ salary to Grade 10 and assistant teachers to Grade 12 per the recommendations of the advisory committee on primary and non-formal education reforms and a court ruling.

“After receiving the proposal, it will be sent to the Ministry of Public Administration. Following its consent, it will be sent to the finance ministry for final approval."

The ministry sent a letter to the Directorate of Primary Education to this end on Thursday.

After the interim government took charge, an advisory committee was formed on primary and non-formal education reforms in October last year. Emeritus Professor Manzoor Ahmed of BRAC University was appointed as its convener. The committee submitted its recommendation report on Feb 10.

The committee recommended abolishing the post of assistant teacher and the Grade 12 pay scale for entry-level teachers. It recommended paying head teachers at the Grade 10 level and appointment to the post of head teachers through promotion.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court’s Appellate Division on Mar 14 ruled that head teachers of government primary schools will be given the status of second-class gazetted officers in the 10th grade.

GRADE 10 SINCE 2014

Riaz Parvez, president of the Bangladesh Government Primary School Head Teachers' Association, said: "The Appellate Division has given us the verdict in favour of paying salaries in the 10th grade after a long legal battle. We are happy that the decision has been implemented.

“But we want all the head teachers to be given the Grade 10 salary benefit from Mar 9, 2014."

ASSISTANT TEACHERS DEMAND GRADE 11

However, the assistant teachers have rejected the recommendation to increase the salary to Grade 12.

They announced a work stoppage demanding their salary be fixed at Grade 11 of the pay scale by considering the assistant teacher position as an entry-level post, the removal of complications for transition to higher grades after completing 10 and 16 years of service, and faster promotions, including the promotion of assistant teachers to fill 100 percent of head teacher positions.

The Primary Assistant Teachers Organization Oikya Parishad, a platform for primary assistant teachers, called the protest.

Shahinur Al Amin, president of the Bangladesh Primary Assistant Teachers' Society, said: "We are demanding that the assistant teachers' salaries be fixed from the time they enter the 11th grade. That's why we have announced the work stoppage. We reject the move to fix the salary of assistant teachers in Grade 12. We will continue the protest."

According to the primary assistant teachers' platform, the work stoppage will start on May 5.

Teachers will observe a one-hour work stoppage from May 5 to 15, extending it to two hours from May 16 to 20. A half-day work stoppage will be observed from May 21 to 25. And from May 26, teachers will observe a continuous full-day work stoppage until their demands are met.