Lives of primary school teachers: Darkness beneath the lamp

After the school hours end, it is not difficult to find Rahmat (a pseudonym), a schoolsteacher. He can usually be found in the village field, sometimes watching children play cricket and at other times football. In the evening, on his way home, he drops in at the homes of one or two pupils to see who is studying and who is not. If a child has a fever, he arranges medicine free of charge. He always keeps a stock of oral rehydration saline (ORS) at home, which villagers are also free to take whenever they are in need.

To the people of Barai Para, a village near Bangladesh's northern border, Rahmat is more than a teacher—he is one of their own. Yet this exemplary teacher struggles to support his own family. Every month, his unpaid bills at the local grocery and fish shops continue to grow. Speaking during a family gathering, Rahmat said, "I want to live my life honestly."

But at today's market prices, remaining honest while maintaining a decent standard of living has become almost impossible. The prices of essential commodities and the cost of living continue to rise sharply, while the salaries of assistant teachers in government primary schools remain fixed at Grade 13.

Their basic monthly salary starts at just Tk 11,000. According to Rahmat, teachers' purchasing power has declined significantly. At the same time, the respect once accorded to teachers in society has all but disappeared.

Recently, controversy surrounded Beauty Rani Paul, headteacher of Pitaitikor Government Primary School in Fenchuganj, Sylhet, after derogatory comments about her clothing and appearance circulated on Facebook. The incident highlighted the emotional distress felt by many teachers.

In protest, female teachers across the country posted videos on Facebook featuring a popular Bangla pop song “Shraboner Meghgulo Joro Holo Akashe”. It was more than just a song; it became a quiet expression of teachers' long-standing deprivation and frustration.

Conversations with teachers at the grassroots level reveal that honest teachers in Bangladesh are far from well. Years of neglect have pushed them to breaking point.

One assistant teacher, who has been serving for nearly 14 years, said, "My salary is not enough to support my family. I have to borrow money to meet household expenses, and then borrow again just to repay those debts."

This situation has fuelled the growth of high-interest informal lending in rural areas. Thousands of teachers are reportedly forced to pledge their salary cheques as collateral for loans. By the time their monthly salary is paid, a substantial portion has already gone into the pockets of moneylenders.

The crisis, however, extends well beyond inadequate pay. Deep-rooted problems also exist in recruitment and administrative mismanagement. Although most teachers are recruited on merit, a section enter the profession through unethical means.

Allegations of organised examination fraud—including “centre contracts” and leaked or solved question papers—have surfaced in almost every recruitment process. Those who secure jobs through such practices do not attend school regularly. Instead, they devote their time to local politics, business, or the coaching business. As a result, conscientious teachers are left to shoulder the additional workload created by their absentee colleagues.

According to many teachers, a powerful network has developed between dishonest officials within the Directorate of Primary Education, district and upazila education offices, and teachers who neglect their duties.

For years, they say, this network has effectively held the country's primary education system hostage. A headteacher from the central zone of the country remarked, "Teachers who fail in their duties escape accountability by paying monthly bribes to education officials, while those who follow the rules are issued show-cause notices or harassed for even minor mistakes."

Teachers also allege that bribes have become commonplace in matters such as transfers, leave approvals, updating service books, and processing retirement pensions.

One teacher from Rangpur Division said that those unwilling to pay bribes are threatened with adverse remarks in red ink being entered into their service books or having their files deliberately delayed.

The consequences of this dysfunctional system are increasingly evident in the classroom. According to the Annual Primary School Census 2023, enrolment in government primary schools fell by more than one million pupils within a single year, while enrolment in kindergartens and madrasahs increased.

The trend clearly indicates that parents are rapidly losing confidence in government primary education.

This time, female teachers have raised their voices through the song “Shraboner Meghgulo Joro Holo Akashe”, expressing solidarity with one another. Yet they know that songs alone will not resolve the crisis.

Ordinary teachers are therefore demanding the immediate upgrading of assistant teachers to Grade 10, a clear system of promotion, and an end to irregularities in recruitment, bribery, and harassment within education offices.

As one assistant teacher from northern districts in Bangladesh put it, "We do not want to take to the streets in protest. We simply want to teach our children with dignity and in peace. Will the government fulfil this modest wish of ours?"