Primary assistant teachers’ pay scale upgraded

The pay scale of primary schools' assistant teachers has been upgraded from 15th to 13th grade on the national pay scale to eliminate salary disparity.

The primary and mass education ministry issued the notice in this regard on Sunday, stating that the new pay grade would be effective immediately. 

Also, the notice said that the Directorate of Primary Education would provide the salary under existing rules and regulations.

Meanwhile, the leaders of primary schools' assistant teachers have expressed their dissatisfaction over the notice of upgrading the salary. 

Shamsuddin Masud, Secretary General of the Bangladesh Primary Teachers' Oikya Parishad, told The Business Standard that they had been fighting for 11th grade for assistant teachers. But the new notice upset them. 

"We have rejected the ministry's notice. We hope that the prime minister will upgrade the status to 11th grade in the Mujib Borsho. 

"Our demands are logical, as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had included us (assistant teachers) in the salary upgrades in May 2014. It was also an agenda of the Awami League-led government's manifesto."  

The primary and mass education ministry proposed to upgrade their salary structure to grade 10 for headmasters and grade 12 for assistant teachers in 2018.

On September 11, 2018, a letter signed by the Ministry of Finance's Deputy Secretary Sadia Sharmin, said there was no need for any upgradation in the salary structure.

There are 65,902 primary schools in Bangladesh, employing 325,000 assistant teachers and 42,000 headmasters.