Government to take action against absent teachers amidst nationalisation protest

Staff Reporter  :
The ongoing demand for nationalisation of the secondary schools by hundreds of teachers and employees beside the Secretariat has taken a new turn as the government plans to take action against teachers who have been absent from their educational institutions without proper leave.

The teachers have been camping day and night in front of the Jatiya Press Club, demanding a meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to secure her assurance on the nationalisation issue. However, the Prime Minister is currently in Italy attending an international summit.

The teachers, representing non-governmental educational institutions, expressed their dissatisfaction with the recent statement by Education Minister Dipu Moni, where she stated that the government would not be able to meet their demand at this time due to the upcoming election.

Even on Monday, Education Minister said that, such movement is not at all acceptable by taking the students in hostage.
“We have talked to the teachers. Some of them have returned home, while some others are continuing movement. They may also stay here for some more days. But the teachers place is in the classrooms. Such movement is not at all acceptable by taking the students in hostage,” she said in a convocation programme of a private university in the capital. This has fueled further frustration among the protesting educators who have been demanding nationalisation for weeks.

In response to the situation, the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE) has taken a proactive step by requesting a list of absent head teachers, assistant head teachers, and assistant teachers in various educational institutions without proper authorisation.

The deadline for submitting this was on Monday, and the district education officers of DSHE’s Dhaka office are expected to compile and submit the information to the authorities.
ASM Abdul Khalek, the Deputy Director of the Dhaka region of DSHE, signed the letter seeking the list of absent teachers. The letter specifically mentioned the need for daily updates on the list of absent teachers, highlighting the government’s seriousness in addressing the issue.
The current situation becomes even more critical as the Bangladesh Teachers’ Association continues to raise their voices in front of the National Press Club since July 11, demanding the nationalisation of secondary schools and colleges across the nation.

In a related development, DSHE had recently canceled the scheduled two-week summer vacation for all secondary schools and colleges nationwide, which was supposed to begin last Thursday, further intensifying the tension between the authorities and the teaching community.
With the protest continuing and the government’s action against absent teachers, the education sector remains in a state of unrest, impacting the students and the overall academic environment.
Meanwhile, the teachers are demanding either nationalisation or government benefits. Despite facing police resistance, they are persisting in their protest, with some teachers even falling sick due to hunger strikes.

However, there has been no significant response from the government regarding their demands.
There is a total of approximately 20,000 secondary schools, out of which one 684 are government schools, and the rest of these are MPO listed. These teachers are currently paid by the government, but they claim that the provided salary is not enough to cover even their monthly rent, with additional allowances being inadequate.
They mention the lack of pension schemes and that the benefits provided in the form of medical allowances are insufficient.
According to the teachers, the starting salary for a Moderation Pay Scale teacher is Tk 12,500, while a government school teacher receives Tk 16,000, highlighting the disparity in pay. With the increasing cost of living, they find it difficult to make ends meet.

The Bangladesh Teachers’ Association (BTA) General Editor Sheikh Kaoser Ahmed told the media, “Our demands go beyond just salary raises. We also demand for nationalisation and equalisation of pay scales between government and non-government schools.”
He stresses that they all follow the same curriculum and play a crucial role in secondary education, but they are still victims of inequality.