Government primary school teachers have reversed their earlier decision and announced that their work abstention and sit-in programs will continue until further notice. As a result, all classes in primary schools across the country remain suspended from Monday (November 10).
On Sunday night, leaders of the Primary Teachers’ Demand Implementation Council announced the suspension of their strike following a meeting with officials of the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education. However, facing strong opposition from assistant teachers, they reversed the decision at midnight and decided to continue the movement.
Council leader Md. Mahbubur Rahman said, “We will continue both our work abstention and sit-in until our demands are met. If today’s meeting brings a positive outcome, we will return to classes; otherwise, tougher programs will follow.”
The teachers’ key demands include the upgradation of assistant teachers to the 10th pay grade, among a set of three-point demands. A meeting between teacher representatives and officials from the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education and the Finance Ministry is scheduled for Monday.
The ministry’s secretary, Abu Taher Md. Masud Rana, said a proposal to grant 11th grade pay to assistant teachers has been sent to the Finance Ministry and is under review. He added that whether the 10th grade demand is feasible will be clarified by the Finance Ministry.
Currently, there are 65,569 government primary schools across Bangladesh employing around 384,000 teachers, most of whom are assistant teachers. The ongoing strike has caused classes for nearly 9.6 million students to be suspended.
Annual exams for primary schools are scheduled to begin on December 1, followed by the scholarship exams for fifth graders in late December. However, the teachers’ continued work abstention is likely to disrupt exam preparations and academic progress for millions of students.