Primary teachers begin indefinite work stoppage, classes halted in 65,000 schools

Government primary school assistant teachers across the country began an indefinite full-day work stoppage on Thursday (November 27) to press home their three-point demand.

As a result, teaching activities have effectively come to a halt in more than 65,000 government primary schools just ahead of annual examinations.

The Primary Teachers’ Demand Implementation Council announced the early launch of the protest programme in a statement issued Wednesday night. The organisation said that despite repeated assurances from the Ministry of Finance, no visible progress has been made in implementing their demands, prompting them to advance the programme originally scheduled to start on November 30.

Teacher leaders stated that over a hundred teachers were injured on November 8 when police attacked their sit-in at the Central Shaheed Minar and the pen–down program at Shahbagh. Although discussions with the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education and the Ministry of Finance on November 9 and 10 brought assurances, nearly two weeks have passed without any progress—particularly regarding the issuance of the gazette for the 11th grade.

The Teachers’ Three-Point Demand include, upgrading assistant teachers’ pay scale to the 10th grade, removing complexities in awarding higher grades after 10 and 16 years of service, ensuring 100% departmental promotion from assistant teacher to head teacher.

Earlier, another group—the Primary Assistant Teachers Unity Council—observed a work stoppage from 25–27 November with the same demands.

Sabera Begum, joint convener of the organisation, said, “Despite long discussions, the government has offered only assurances and taken no real action. We have been left with no choice but to begin a full-day work stoppage.”

According to the Directorate of Primary Education, the country has 65,567 government primary schools employing around 384,000 teachers. Although recent initiatives were taken to upgrade the grades of head teachers and those in the 13th grade, assistant teachers expressed dissatisfaction.

They argue that officials from other ministries, nurses, agricultural officers, and police sub-inspectors receive 10th-grade pay with just a bachelor’s degree, while primary assistant teachers—despite additional professional training—remain stuck in the 13th grade.