Primary school assistant teachers across the country have begun an indefinite work stoppage from today (Sunday) to press for salary upgrades and promotion benefits. As a result, classes have been suspended in more than 65,000 government primary schools, affecting nearly 10 million young students. Although students are coming to school, teachers have refrained from conducting classes, forcing children to return home without lessons.
The teachers had started a continuous sit-in at Dhaka’s Central Shaheed Minar on Saturday, demanding three main points including upgrading assistant teachers’ pay scale to Grade-10. Their plan was to announce stronger action from November 15. However, after police intervention during the “pen submission” protest at Shahbagh on Saturday, the teachers decided to advance and intensify their movement, declaring the nationwide work stoppage effective immediately.
Three Demands:
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Upgrade assistant teachers’ salaries to Grade-10
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Resolve complications in obtaining higher grade benefits after 10 and 16 years of service
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Ensure 100% departmental promotions
Movement leaders claim that although assistant teachers hold similar or even higher qualifications than many other government employees who already receive Grade-10 salaries, primary teachers are still stuck at Grade-13. They say this discrimination is unacceptable and must end.
Movement convener and president of the Bangladesh Primary School Assistant Teachers’ Association, Md. Shamsuddin Masud, stated that many teachers were injured by rubber bullets and sound grenades during the police action in Dhaka. Some remain hospitalized, while others have been detained. In this situation, teachers nationwide are united in full work stoppage until demands are met.
He added that the sit-in at Shaheed Minar will continue, and if the government does not respond, the teachers may lock the schools entirely as part of the next phase of the movement.