Now primary teachers to go for complete shutdown

After various programmes, including sit-ins, work stoppages, and boycott of examinations, assistant teachers of government primary schools will now observe a complete shutdown from Wednesday, December 3.

Alongside, they will observe a sit-in in front of the office of the Assistant Upazila/Thana Education Officer (ATEO) to press home a three-point demand, including salary upgrades to the 10th-grade pay scale.

Mohammad Shamsuddin Masud, one of the conveners of the Primary Teachers' Demand Implementation Council, confirmed the matter to Jago News on Tuesday afternoon, December 2.

"Many teachers are being harassed to hold programmes pressing for demands. That is why we are going to announce a complete shutdown at 7:00 pm," he said.

Earlier, the protesting teachers went on a continuous work stoppage from November 27.

Another organisation of primary assistant teachers, the Primary Assistant Teacher Organisations' Unity Council, observed a three-day work abstention from November 25 to 28.

The three demands are giving entry-level salary at Grade 11 instead of the current Grade 13; resolving the complications around obtaining higher pay grades after the completion of 10 and 16 years in job; and faster promotions, including 100 per cent promotion of assistant teachers to the head teacher posts.

AAH/MSU