TEACHERS of colleges and secondary schools under the monthly pay order scheme once again pushing for their demands for a salary increase and the introduction of a general transfer system highlights the delay in government response to a crisis that has persisted for far too long. The teachers on August 13 gave the government an ultimatum until September 13 to meet their demands, warning that they would, otherwise, abstain from work for September 14鈥�16 and begin continuous sit-in in Dhaka from October 12. While teachers have demonstrated pressing their demands for several years and the government has repeatedly assured them that it would look into the issues, there has been no tangible progress in sorting out their legitimate grievances. A glaring disparity remains in the facilities provided for non-government teachers under the monthly pay order scheme and government teachers. Entry-level non-government secondary schoolteachers earn roughly a half of what their counterparts in government schools do. In addition, they are entitled to only a consolidated Tk 1,000 in house rent, Tk 500 in medical allowance and a festival allowance amounting to a quarter of their basic salary.
The education adviser at a meeting with a teachers鈥� delegation on August 13 stated that the ministry had already sent a demi-official letter to the finance ministry, recommending an increase from Tk 1,000 to Tk 2,000 in house rent, from Tk 500 to Tk 1,000 in medical allowance and an increase to 75 per cent of the basic in festival allowance. While the proposals fall short of fully addressing the teachers鈥� demands, the authorities should implement them without delay and attend to other pressing demands, including the timely disbursement of retirement benefits for teachers and other members on the staff. Despite a February 2024 court order instructing the government to pay retirement benefits in six months inside retirement, the backlog of applications has only grown. It now takes between five and six years for retired teachers and staff to receive their entitlements after applying. This situation has plunged many retired teachers and employees into an extreme hardship. Some have also died before receiving their benefits while an estimated 10,000 applicants are suffering from serious illnesses and urgently require the funds for medical treatment.
It is unrealistic to expect quality education, especially in non-government institutions that teach the highest number of students, unless teachers are paid well enough to dedicate themselves fully to the profession. The government should, there, take early steps to address the demands of the teachers.
