Primary teachers demand 11th-grade pay scale
The Primary Teachers’ Organisation Unity Council on Wednesday placed a nine-point demand, including fixing the salary scale of assistant primary school teachers at the 11th grade, ensuring promotion opportunities and simplifying the transfer policy.
The organisation also announced that it would submit a memorandum to the Prime Minister through deputy commissioners on October 1, seeking implementation of the demands.
The teachers’ leaders announced the programme at a press conference at Abdus Salam Hall of the Jatiya Press Club.
The speakers said primary education is the foundation of the country’s education system and stressed that improving the social and economic status of around 380,000 teachers is essential to ensuring quality primary education.
They demanded restoration of house rent and Baishakhi allowances and an increase in the education allowance under the 2026 pay scale. They also welcomed the proposal to introduce a separate pay scale for teachers.
The speakers said the Unity Council, comprising 11 organisations, has long been working to realise teachers’ legitimate demands.
They expressed growing frustration over the suspension of upazila-level transfers, saying many teachers are forced to remain in the same workplace for years, sometimes until retirement.
They also warned that the lack of opportunities for 100 percent promotion could hamper efforts to ensure quality and ethical education.
The other demands include resolving complications related to selection grade or higher grade after eight and 14 years of service; providing recreation allowance automatically every three years; incorporating life-oriented and work-oriented ethical education into the curriculum; implementing the 10th-grade pay scale for head teachers without delay; ensuring representation of teachers’ organisations in education-related policymaking; and bringing all government primary schools under a single-shift system, with school hours from 10am to 3pm.
The teachers’ leaders warned that they would be compelled to launch tougher programmes if their demands were not addressed within a short period.
