A section of the assistant teachers of government primary schools on Monday observed a partial work abstention programme by refraining from all academic activities for the second day running, demanding pay rise and promotion.
They said that the government had yet to take any visible action, such as, issuing gazette regarding its announcement of upgrading the teachers鈥� salaries to the 11th grade.
They warned that they would go for non-stop work abstention and if their demands were not met by December 11 they would reject examination duties.
Under the banner of the Primary Assistant Teachers Association Unity Council, their three-point demand are: upgrading the entry level assistant teacher position to the 11th grade from the existing 13th grade; removing the barriers to achieve higher grades for the teachers who are 10 years and 16 years into the job; and making appointing all head teachers from the pool of assistant teachers through promotion.
Most recently another section of the government assistant primary schools teachers on November 10 withdrew their countrywide three-day work abstention programme and a sit-in at the Central Shaheed Minar in the capital after the government promised them upgrading their salaries to the 11th grade.
Under the banner of Primary Teachers Demand Implementation Council, the latter group of teachers demanded 10th grade.
The unity council teachers enforced a work-abstention programme of different lengths from May 5 till May 29 this year.
On Monday, Bangladesh Primary Assistant Teachers鈥� Society president Anisur Rahman said that they had earlier announced their next programmes at a press conference held in the capital on November 1.
He continued that at that time they said that if the government failed to meet their demands by November 15, they would observe half-day work abstention in November 23鈥�24, full-day work abstention in November 25鈥�27.
They had started the half-day work abstention from Sunday and continued on Monday, Anisur said.
Replying to a question, he said that after November 10 the government did not take any visible move, such as, issuing gazette notification on the announcement of upgrading their salaries to the 11th grade.
鈥業f our demands are not met by then we will reject the exam duties and start fast-unto-death from December 11,鈥� he added.
According to the teachers, at the 13th grade an assistant teacher received total Tk 17,650 as salary while an upgrade of their salary scale to 11th grade would fetch an assistant teacher total Tk 19,825 as monthly salary.
Early this year on February 10, a consultation committee on quality improvement of primary and non-formal education recommended upgrading of the assistant teacher position at the entry level to the 12th grade.
Following the recommendations, the government on July 28 made the decision to upgrade the salaries of the head teachers of all government primary schools to the 10th grade.
Before the decision, trained head teachers were paid under the 11th grade and the head teachers without training were paid as per the 12th grade.
