Annual exams begin in govt primary schools after six days of deadlock

After six days of stalemate, annual examinations in government primary schools across the country began today (December 7).

Although assistant teachers are continuing their movement over a three-point demand, transfer orders, and the ongoing “shutdown” programme, teacher associations have temporarily suspended all activities during the exam period in the interest of students.

On Thursday night, the Primary Teachers’ Demand Implementation Council and the Bangladesh Primary Assistant Teachers’ Association Unity Council announced in a joint statement that all lockdown-style programmes would remain suspended during the examinations.

No shutdown will be enforced in any school during this period, they said.

Md. Mahbubur Rahman, a convenor of the Primary Teachers’ Demand Implementation Council, said, “Students are like our own children; we will not take any position that harms them. The movement will continue, but the examinations will remain completely outside the scope of our protest.”

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education has transferred 42 assistant teachers involved in the movement to different districts. The list includes five top leaders—Khayrun Nahar Lipi, Md. Shamsuddin Masud, Md. Abul Kashem, Md. Mahbubur Rahman, and Md. Moniruzzaman.

Leaders stated that their movement would continue until the three-point demand, including upgrading assistant teachers to the 10th grade, is met. However, they assured that no programme would disrupt students during the examination period.

According to the Directorate of Primary Education (DPE), the country has 65,569 government primary schools with more than 384,000 teachers. While headteachers are placed in the 10th grade, assistant teachers are still in the 13th grade—leading to long-standing demands for grade upgrades and resolving issues related to higher grade entitlements.

Earlier, during a sit-in from November 8–12 at the Central Shaheed Minar, more than 150 teachers were injured in clashes with police. Although teachers returned to work following assurances, they resumed work abstention after no visible progress in fulfilling the promises.

Notably, the annual primary school exams were originally scheduled to begin on December 1 but were postponed due to the movement.