Primary school teachers announce work abstention after police crackdown

Demonstrating government primary school teachers have announced fresh programmes today after coming under police attack during their protest for a three-point demand.

They will continue a sit-in at the Central Shaheed Minar and observe a full-day work abstention at schools.

Mohammad Shamsuddin Masud, convenor of the Primary Teachers' Demand Implementation Council, shared this information with Prothom Alo on Saturday evening.

Earlier in the afternoon, police attacked a procession of primary teachers at Shahbagh. More than a hundred teachers were injured as police used batons, tear gas, water cannons, and sound grenades. The teachers alleged that the attack was unprovoked, while police claimed they dispersed the protesters when they tried to march toward the Chief Adviser’s official residence, Jamuna, ignoring restrictions.

Immediately after the attack, Shamsuddin Masud told Prothom Alo that they would return to the Shaheed Minar and announce fresh programs. Masud is also the president of the Government Primary School Assistant Teachers Association. Several such groups have come together under the banner of the Primary Teachers’ Demand Implementation Council to lead the movement.

Currently, assistant teachers at government primary schools are paid under the 13th grade of the national pay scale. They are now demanding to be upgraded to the 10th grade. Their two other demands are 100 per cent departmental promotion and higher pay grades upon completing 10 and 16 years of service.

A few months ago, the teachers had demanded that their pay grade be raised to the 11th level. Now, they have advanced their demand to the 10th grade.

Until recently, head teachers of government primary schools were in the 11th grade. After a long legal battle, the pay grade of 45 head teachers who filed a writ petition was upgraded to the 10th grade. This decision has paved the way for all head teachers across the country to receive the same benefit.

Government sources indicate that a formal decision to implement this for all head teachers may come soon. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education is reportedly working to raise assistant teachers’ pay to the 11th grade as well.