Assistant Primary Teachers Begin Full-Day Work Stoppage Demanding Pay Scale and Promotion Reforms

Staff Reporter

Government primary school assistant teachers have launched a full-day work abstention starting Monday, May 20, to press for their demands regarding pay grade and promotion issues. While reporting to schools, the teachers are refusing to conduct classes as part of their protest.

The movement is being coordinated under the banner of the Primary Assistant Teachers’ Organization Unity Council, a coalition representing multiple teacher associations.

The teachers’ key demands include:
Setting entry-level salaries at Grade 11
Resolving complications in obtaining higher grades after 10 and 16 years of service
Ensuring 100 percent promotion opportunities to head teacher positions

Md. Anisur Rahman, President of the Bangladesh Primary Assistant Teachers’ Society, stated that while teachers and students are attending schools, classes are not being conducted as part of this nationwide protest program.

The current phase of protest follows earlier actions including a one-hour daily work abstention from May 5-15, a two-hour stoppage from May 16-20, and a half-day strike from May 21-25.

Protest leaders allege that recommendations from the Education Reform Advisory Committee of the Primary and Mass Education Ministry propose eliminating the assistant teacher position and setting entry-level salaries at Grade 12. Teachers oppose this, demanding retention of their positions with Grade 11 salaries.

While discussions with the Director General of Primary Education have yielded assurances about addressing promotion and pay grade issues, teacher representatives maintain they will continue protests until receiving concrete directives.

Currently, assistant teachers are placed in Grade 13 while head teachers receive Grade 11 salaries. Reform proposals submitted in February 2024 recommended upgrading head teachers to Grade 10 and implementing merit-based promotions. The ministry began implementing these changes on April 24, proposing Grade 12 for assistant teachers and Grade 10 for head teachers.

Bangladesh’s education system employs approximately 384,000 teachers across 65,567 government primary schools. The ongoing protests reflect growing tensions over career progression and compensation in the primary education sector.