Currently, there is an ongoing movement, teacher rallies and human chain program for the 10th grade demand of assistant teachers of government primary schools. They have already submitted a memorandum to the Chief Advisor from every district across the country highlighting the rationale for their 10th grade. After completing the human chain program in front of the press clubs in the districts and upazilas in favor of the 10th grade demand, they also made their demands in front of the Dhaka Central Press Club on October 19. Later, on January 24, 2025, the grassroots teachers of the country united and held a teachers' rally at the Dhaka Central Shaheed Minar and after the rally, marched towards the residence of the Chief Advisor under the banner of "March for 10th Grade". Considering this demand of the teachers, the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education has already formed a 9-member consultation committee as a reform to improve the quality of life of primary education and teachers. But that committee also did not present any proposals as expected, which has become a cause of frustration and anger for the primary school teachers. For this reason, teachers are becoming more united and are preparing for larger teacher rallies and sit-ins. Basically, they are demanding 10th grade or 2nd class status as recognition of their work and work. According to them, if teachers are third-class employees, then it is pointless to make them first-class citizens. If they themselves suffer from inferiority complex and are crushed by the scourge of poverty, then how can they show students the hope or dream of a better life? And even if they do, will it be realistic? Basically, it is pointless to express the determination to show hope or dream from a depressed person. Renowned intellectual, teacher and writer Professor Salimullah Khan agreed with the idea of improving the quality of life of primary school teachers and said, “The primary level is the foundation of educational life, and to strengthen this foundation, investment here must be increased.”
Teachers demand that if the entry level of assistant teachers is made 10th grade, they will become 2nd class employees, in which case they will benefit financially as well as in terms of status. They will have peace of mind at work. Moreover, when a teacher is mentally at ease at work, his main responsibility will be to teach in the classroom. In this regard, the current acting chairman of BNP, Mr. Tarique Rahman, has also spoken about improving the quality of life of government primary school teachers. He said, "If teachers have to think about their financial matters or running their families outside the classroom, then it is difficult to expect quality education from them. For this, investment in primary education and teachers must be increased."
To attract talented people to this profession, primary school teachers should be given a standard salary and status, so that they do not suffer from inferiority when they come to this profession. Until this profession is made attractive to talented people, this profession will be identified as a transit profession for talented people. It is true that they will join this profession, but if there is an opportunity, they will move to another profession, this is the reality. Because in the current capitalist social system, people are measured by money. No matter how much you judge the teaching profession only by the standard of respect, it will be unrealistic and unacceptable in terms of reality. Because teachers are also part of society, they also live with everyone in society. Their family cannot run on just giving them respect. When they see that their friends/brothers/relatives are working in different departments in the same grade, getting promoted quickly and becoming senior officials, while he/she remains as an assistant teacher, then a sense of disappointment will arise inside him/her. He/she will also develop aversion to work. That is why talented people will move to other professions if given the opportunity. One thing to keep in mind is that the self-reliance or capability of an institution or country depends on the talented people. The more talented people are present in an institution, the more creative and active that institution is and the better the output from it will be. In this regard, Mr. Sarjis Alam, Coordinator of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, said, “After completing graduation, he is now becoming a primary school teacher. A government job is piqued his interest in this regard, but the grade given is 13th grade. How long will a salary of 17/18 thousand taka for 13th grade keep a graduate in a primary school? This is an important question. Therefore, if we want to strengthen our education system further, considering our current socio-economic context, we want to strengthen our foundation, then the grade of teachers in government primary schools and government high schools should be brought to at least 10th grade. "Because if we don't give our teachers that support and respect, then naturally the students won't find the interest and commitment they need for their studies and they will have to focus on earning a living. So by focusing on both sides, naturally we won't see the desired progress in our students."
It has already been seen that other departments of the state have recommended 10th grade from 14th, 15th, 16th and even 17th grade, but teachers have been raising demands for their standard of living and dignity for about 5-6 years, and have been holding various programs in support of their demands, but the higher authorities are not taking their words into consideration, but are busy issuing various notifications to further suppress them, which is really disappointing!
Teachers are demanding 100% promotion to the next level, including the 10th grade, by amending the Recruitment Rules 2019 in light of the Quota Reform Rules 2024, taking the Assistant Teacher post as an entry level post.
In addition, their argument is that the Upazila Primary Education Office is concerned with administrative work.
1) Upazila Primary Education Officer 9th Grade and
2) Assistant Upazila Primary Education Officer 10th Grade.
Again, the URC office is for teacher training purposes.
1) U, R, C Instructor 9th Grade O
2) Assistant U, R, C Instructor 10th Grade.
Similarly, the work of primary schools is academic or teaching-related, so
1) The headmaster is the 9th and
2) It is logical to provide 10th grade to assistant teachers.
Basically, the work of the three institutions is of three types but the purpose is the same, which is to ensure quality primary education. So, if the principals and assistants of those two institutions get 9th and 10th grades, where is the problem in giving 9th and 10th grades to the principals and assistant teachers of primary schools? Rather, not giving it is an extreme discrimination. Again, by teaching the same curriculum, the same textbooks and in the same class, the assistant teachers of the experimental school located in PTI are getting 10th grade, while the assistant teachers of government primary schools across Bangladesh get 13th grade. This is also an extreme discrimination.
Besides, government primary school teachers are the institution with the highest number of government employees in the state. The highest number of government employees here are engaged in state work, so it is a bit complicated to give them promotions at the same time. In this case, they can be promoted by 100% promotion or through 50% seniority and 50% through departmental examination. Again, departmental candidacy means that 50% of head teachers and 50% of assistant teachers should be considered as departmental candidates and opportunities should be given to talented teachers for promotion. If everyone cannot be promoted, then like other departments, a higher scale should be given and salaries should be given after a certain period of time in the light of the supernumerary system. Because if there is no recognition, appreciation or reward for any work, then the employees engaged in that work do not get any motivation. And if there is no motivation, the pace of that work also slows down! Every year, the best teachers are selected at the upazila, district and division levels, but they are not basically awarded as the best teachers in the workplace. In this case, if they are given an increment as a reward, that will also be a motivation for them. Basically, due to the lack of recognition and motivation in this department, the employees working in this department are immersed in extreme frustration day by day. Which is very sad. The authorities should also consider this matter.
Currently, the qualification sought for the recruitment of primary school teachers is Graduation 2nd class or equivalent. With this same qualification, primary school teachers have been kept at 13th grade or 3rd grade compared to other departments of the government. Which as a teacher, one always has to bow down in his inferiority complex to introduce his profession in the society. However, a primary school teacher has to maintain the value of his profession through how much hard work. He has to deal with children constantly, whereas a parent has to struggle to handle 1/2 of their children. However, on an average, he has to spend a long time with 90/100/150/200/300 or more students from 9 am to 4.15 pm (although there is a difference in the number of students from school to school). They have to listen to their needs-complaints, complaints-judgments, demands-pleasures, and remedy them. Despite so much mental and physical effort, this primary school teacher has been kept at 13th grade or 3rd grade. Where after joining as a teacher, he has to start his working life with a salary of only 17560/- taka. He has to struggle constantly to live on this low salary and keep up with the current market price. Research has shown that the ratio of expenditure to income of primary school teachers is inversely proportional or downwards. That is why most of the teachers in the country are currently in debt. It is sad but true that currently the daily tiffin allowance of government primary school teachers is 6.67 taka! With which you cannot even get a cup of tea! In this regard, Mr. Kamrul Hasan Mamun, Professor of Physics at Dhaka University, said, “You have made the person who has taken the responsibility of taking care of your child, the person whom you have given the responsibility of your child's education, that person a 3rd class employee of the state. You are giving him 6 and a half taka as tiffin allowance, with which you cannot even get a cup of tea! It is a shame!”
Most of the teachers in this sector are graduates. Many have very good results in honors and masters. After joining this sector, all teachers have to undergo various long-term training including CinEd, DPAD and currently BTPT. They have to stay updated by undergoing various subject-based training at different times of the year. The question is why the authorities still don't want to give them 10th grade? Why are the head teachers taken directly from non-cadre? Doesn't this block the path of promoting assistant teachers? Isn't this tantamount to depriving them? A common argument is presented and it is said that there is a lot of manpower in this sector, so paying salaries at 10th grade will put a strain on the government's treasury, but many people do not know that the salaries of most of the currently working teachers have been increased year by year and have gone to the 10th grade scale. Only recently joined teachers and newly joined teachers will benefit financially if they get 10th grade. It can be seen that if the assistant teachers are given the 10th grade, the salary of the last 2/3 batch teachers will increase slightly, besides most of the teachers have already received the increment and have gone to the 10th grade scale. They will only be adjusted to the 10th grade scale. Among them, the current basic salary of those who joined in 2019 is 14050/-, the basic salary of those appointed in 2020 is 13380/- and the basic salary of those appointed in 2023 is 11550/- taka. That is, the salary of those appointed in the said 3 years will increase by 1950/- in 2019, 2620/- in 2020 and 4450/- taka for teachers appointed in 2023 respectively. That is, these 3 batches will increase slightly more, while the previously appointed teachers will be adjusted to the scale by some 10/-, some 20/- or 100/-, 200/- in this way. In other words, if it is said that the government needs a lot of money to pay the salaries of such a large number of teachers, it is also illogical to say that. In fact, obtaining a 10th grade degree is not only necessary for the financial benefit of primary school teachers but also to increase their social status.
It is often said that 65% of primary school students cannot read Bengali. What is the reason for this?
Teachers are claiming that it is not just a lack of monitoring that is the problem. Basically, the teacher-student ratio is not right in about 99% government primary schools. The ratio should be 1:20, but the teacher-student ratio is 1:50 or more. In addition to the shortage of teachers, there is a classroom crisis, that is, an infrastructural problem. Although the then government used to praise development day and night, there are also schools in primary schools where teaching activities are going on in 9 classes from nursery class to 8th class, but there are only 3 classrooms suitable for teaching! And there are only 4/5/6 teachers for 9 classes! So how much quality of education can you expect here? Even then, one thing must be kept in mind that general students from all walks of life of the country are mainly admitted to government primary schools. And most of the parents of the students here are unaware, due to which they cannot play a responsible role in how much their children are improving in their studies or where they have weaknesses. Also, if the current quota-free recruitment rules are followed, many male teachers will come to primary schools. They will also help make the students more suitable for the future through good teaching. If men come, then there will be a balance between female and male teachers in this department. Because many administrative and management-related tasks are done by a combination of female and male teachers compared to women alone, the chances of being beautiful and fair increase many times over.
The biggest step would be to make this profession more attractive to the talented by keeping the entry level of assistant teachers at 10th grade and not matching the higher grade with the promoted scale, but rather implementing 100% departmental promotion in all the above positions from the date of joining, implementing time scale/higher grade, continuing transfers throughout the year, appointing office assistant cum computer operators in every school, developing/renovating the infrastructure of the school, declaring a non-vacation department, constructing a boundary wall for every school, increasing all allowances at a reasonable rate in line with the current market rate, introducing a primary education cadre and making the BPSC appoint, join, transfer and promote assistant teachers.
Primary education builds the foundation for a child's future. The main goal of a teacher is to instill in them the values of honesty, discipline, humanity and hard work. When the teacher looks at the faces of the students in the classroom, their curiosity, dreams and potential inspire the teacher every day. It is only because of their responsibility, love and interest towards children that primary school teachers are fulfilling the important role of the teaching profession.
As teachers, their job is not just to impart book knowledge, but to make students good human beings. To develop their personality and teach them moral values. For this, they need patience, compassion, and boundless love. And with these qualities, primary school teachers are constantly fulfilling their duties.
However, it must be remembered that the day after joining as a primary school teacher, one does not want to go to any other profession due to financial and prestige reasons, the day a talented young person dreams of becoming a teacher, dreams of becoming an artisan to build ideal human beings, that day the quality of primary education will improve. And the country itself will have to fulfill the important responsibility of making this post and job attractive to the youth. The authorities will also have to be more sincere, teacher-oriented and cooperative. Only then will the first choice of the talented be the teaching profession in government primary schools.
N U Prince
Assistant teacher,
Howlader Dangi Government Primary School, Sadarpur, Faridpur.
