Staff Reporter:
The salary of an assistant teacher in a primary school, who took up the noble profession after completing her studies from a recognised university, is around Tk18,500. The salary of a newly appointed teacher in a secondary school under the monthly-pay order (MPO) system is between Tk12,500 and Tk17,500, while a college lecturer initially gets Tk22,400.
This is the current dismal picture of starting salaries and allowances of teachers at different levels in the country as the educators’ agitation for a salary increase for the past few years has not been fruitful yet.
Sources at the primary and secondary level educational institutions said that primary teachers are the most backward in terms of salary allowance. Assistant teachers there still get paid in grade 13, which is equal to the third class of state employees in terms of status. Meanwhile, head teachers get paid in grade 11.
The consultant committee formed by the interim government to improve the quality of primary education recently recommended improving the grade of teachers.
Considering the entire situation, the committee made interim recommendations until the independent status and higher salary structure of teachers are established.
The Ministry of Primary and Mass Education has taken an initiative to increase the salary grade of government primary school teachers in the country by one grade, as recommended by a consultant committee. If this new initiative is implemented, the starting salary grade of primary schools’ assistant teachers will be grade 12 and that of head teachers will be grade 10.
The Ministry of Primary and Mass Education has taken the initiative in light of the recommendations of the
‘Consultative Committee for Improving the Quality of Primary and Non-Formal Education’ led by BRAC University Professor Emeritus Dr Manzoor Ahmed and the court’s verdict. The ministry had directed the Directorate of Primary Education to take steps in this regard on 24 April.
However, the assistant teachers say that they will not accept this initiative as their main demand is that the starting salary of assistant teachers should be raised to at least grade 11. To press this demand and proposals, the teachers will go on strike from 5 May.
Currently, there are about 4.5 lakh teachers in more than 65,000 government primary schools across the country. Among them, the head teachers currently get a salary as per grade 11. Meanwhile, the assistant teachers get paid as per grade 13, where the starting basic salary is Tk11,000, with other benefits added to it, totaling to Tk18,500.
Shamsuddin Masud, president of the Government Primary School Assistant Teachers’ Association, told the Daily Sun, “Teachers in Bangladesh are the most neglected among all the countries in the world, and primary teachers here are getting the least facilities. We are still considered as third-class citizens of the state.
“Primary teachers are still getting salaries and allowances at the 13th grade. We have been making demands for a long time. Recently, the Primary Advisory Committee has also understood our issue and given suggestions. However, we want a rational reform of the consultant committee’s recommendations and the primary teachers’ salaries as per the 11th grade. We are going on strike soon for this demand.”
In addition, teachers and employees under the MPO system have been protesting for a long time demanding the nationalisation of all educational institutions, but no government has accepted their demands. Their protest intensified after Sheikh Hasina was ousted from power in a mass uprising in August last year. After a break of a few months, the secondary school teachers have announced to hold a mass rally in front of the National Press Club on 10 May demanding again for nationalisation of their institutions.
Bangladesh Teachers’ Association (BTA) General Secretary Sheikh Kawsar Ahmed told the Daily Sun, “Teachers have been demanding the nationalisation of all educational institutions since the independence of the country, but that has not happened. For so many years, teachers under MPO have been receiving only 100% of their basic salaries. The government has only given them nominal allowances.
“There is a huge gap in salaries and allowances between government and private institutions. It is not possible to develop the education system while maintaining inequality. In no other country in the world are teachers given such low salaries and allowances. We have been demanding to improve this for years on the streets, but no government has agreed to it. Our expectations from the current interim government are very high. Hopefully, they will give importance to teachers and eliminate the existing inequality.”
Benefits of MPO teachers
A probationary teacher who has passed the final examination through Non-Government Teachers Registration and Certification Authority (NTRCA) and received a recommendation for appointment is recruited in an institution with a starting salary in the 9th, 10th and 11th scales according to the national salary structure. College-level lecturers start in the 9th grade, school-level assistant teachers without B.Ed get salary as per the 11th grade and those with B.Ed get it according to the 10th grade.
In terms of other benefits, a total of Tk1,500 is added, including house rent of Tk1,000, medical allowance of Tk500. Apart from that, the latest special incentive announced by the government is 5% for teachers with the 9th and 10th grade status, and Tk1,000 those in lower grades. However, 10% of their total salary is deducted for retirement benefits and future welfare funds.
If we calculate the monthly net salary, a newly appointed college lecturer gets Tk22,400 and an assistant teacher in madrasah, technical and high schools gets Tk12,500 to Tk17,500.
Teachers under the MPO system also get 25% of the basic salary as festival allowance – two festival allowances on two Eid festivals and a Baisakhi allowance. Like other jobs, increment benefits are available every year. In schools, madrasahs and technical educational institutions, one can rise from assistant teacher to head teacher through staged promotions.
College lecturers get the opportunity to become assistant professors on a pro-rata basis after completing eight years of service.
Later, there is an opportunity to become vice-principals and principals by getting promotions.
When a lecturer or teacher retires after 60 years of service, he gets a one-time benefit from the retirement and future welfare fund. There is no pension system like other government jobs.
Research has shown that Bangladesh is at the bottom of the list of countries in terms of salary and social status. In terms of salary structure, Bangladesh ranks 44th out of 49 Asian countries. And it ranks last in South Asia.
Festival allowance to increase by 25%
Following the long-standing demands of teachers, the government has finally decided to increase the festival allowance by 25% of the basic salary.
This allowance will be given to teachers and employees enrolled in the MPO system from next Eid-ul-Azha. That is, from now on, teachers will get festival allowance at the rate of 50%.
As a result of the new decision, the government will have an additional expenditure of Tk229 crore. The proposal was recently adopted in the “Budget Monitoring and Resources Committee” meeting.
The Finance Division has approved the proposal of the Secondary and Higher Education Division.
