Teachers at government primary schools are observing work abstention in protest of a three-point demand, including a salary upgrade. They have already warned that they will boycott the upcoming annual exams and enforce a complete shutdown of all schools if the demands remain unmet. Earlier, teachers of independent Ebtedayee madrasas staged a continuous month-long agitation starting October 12, demanding nationalization. A similar picture is visible in secondary education: teachers of non-MPO institutions have been holding a sit-in in Dhaka for nearly three weeks to demand MPO enlistment. Meanwhile, government secondary school teachers have also announced a work stoppage in December to push their four-point demand.
Education stakeholders say that students at various levels have suffered due to repeated teacher movements, work abstentions, and irregular classroom activities over more than one year. The number stands at nearly 20 million. Many students currently in secondary and higher secondary levels still have the learning deficit caused by COVID-19. Furthermore, teachers' protests and strikes have further disrupted their studies. As a result, they are losing focus on their studies and weakening exam preparation, and forcing many to rely on coaching centers or online classes. Experts note that the state has a responsibility to resolve the just demands of teachers in ways that do not disrupt students’ regular learning.
Dr. Md Abdus Salam, professor at the Institute of Education and Research, University of Dhaka, said: “Whenever teachers are on strike, students suffer. Many students have not yet recovered from the COVID-induced learning gap. Institutions remained closed at various times due to the recent political uprising and several other reasons. Before overcoming these gaps, teachers again went on strike over various demands. Naturally, this has affected students, especially those whose teachers have been absent due to work stoppages.”
He further commented that the previous government had damaged this sector through various irregularities and corruption, instead of prioritizing education. “The current interim government is following the same path. A commission has been formed for every issue except education. Had they initiated reforms earlier and discussed matters with stakeholders, the situation could have been different,” he added.
According to the Annual Primary School Statistics (APSS) 2024, the total number of students in government primary schools stands at over 10.61 million. Officials say the figure is similar this academic year. As per the academic calendar, their annual exams are scheduled to begin in the first week of December. However, teacher strikes have cast uncertainty over the year-end assessments.
Primary school teachers have observed three separate work stoppages this year to press their four-point demands, including upgrading their pay scale from grade 10 to grade 9 and forming an independent directorate for secondary education. The first strike began on May 26. The second lasted from November 9 to 11. They entered a fresh round of work abstention yesterday, announcing that it will continue until their demands are met. Teachers have further warned that if the government fails to take meaningful steps, they will boycott the annual exams.
Mohammad Shamsuddin, convener of the Primary Teachers’ Demand Implementation Council, told Bonik Barta, “The government is responsible for this situation. We do not want students to suffer. One of our colleagues was killed in police action during the movement, and more than 150 teachers were injured. Even then, we waited with trust in the government. We even returned to class on their assurance. But even after 13 days, no concrete steps have been taken by the government. That is why we were forced to resume our work abstention.”
This year, teachers in the secondary sector have also staged protests over various demands alongside primary teachers. Most institutions under the general, madrasa, and technical streams at the secondary and higher secondary levels are private. According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), 78.89 percent of these institutions are listed on the MPO. The total number of students in these streams stands at around 12.33 million, of whom nearly 80 percent, or roughly 10 million, study in MPO-affiliated institutions, according to the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE) and teachers’ organizations.
Teachers of these educational streams observed an eight-day work abstention between October 12 and 21, pressing a three-point demand that includes an increase in house rent. However, Delwar Hossain Azizi, member secretary of the Alliance for the Nationalization of MPO-Listed Educational institutions, said several initiatives have been taken to help students recover the losses caused by the strike.
According to the latest Bangladesh Education Statistics 2023, published by the Bangladesh Bureau of Educational Information and Statistics (BANBEIS), the number of students in private secondary institutions stands at 8,741,480, while enrolment at the higher secondary level is 826,471. Combined with students enrolled in government primary and private secondary and higher secondary institutions under general education, the total reaches over 2 million (20,185,913).
In the madrasa stream, over 1.88 million (1,881,627) students are enrolled at the Ebtedayee level, over 1.4 million (1,409,784) at the Dakhil level, and 483,410 in the Alim level — all Dakhil and Alim institutions being private. Altogether, the madrasa stream accommodates over 3.77 million (3,774,821) students. In the technical stream, enrolment includes 392,804 students at the secondary level and 449,367 at the higher secondary level. Education stakeholders believe students in nearly all these tiers have suffered some degree of academic disruption due to repeated teacher agitations.
Meanwhile, assistant teachers at government secondary schools have announced a work abstention from early next week, protesting the government’s refusal to meet their four-point demand, including the inclusion of the post of assistant teacher under the BCS cadre. Top leaders of the Bangladesh Government Secondary Teachers’ Association made the announcement. According to the Bangladesh Education Statistics 2023, government secondary schools currently serve 571,681 students.
The demands of government secondary school teachers include issuing a gazette to bring the post of assistant teacher under the BCS (General Education) cadre, designating the entry-level post as grade 9 (cadre), introducing a four- to six-tier promotional structure, and publishing a gazette for establishing an independent Directorate of Secondary Education.
Abdullah Al Nahiyan, assistant teacher at Dhaka Collegiate School and a member of the convening committee of the Bangladesh Government Secondary Teachers’ Association, told Bonik Barta: “Teachers have consistently pushed for two things — financial benefits and recognition. We have already received grade 9, so we have no complaint regarding financial matters. But we still do not receive the recognition we deserve. Our four demands are centered on that.”
Informing that the High Court has delivered a verdict in their favor, he added, “The government is not implementing it, citing various complications. This has deeply angered assistant teachers in government secondary schools. We have therefore been compelled to announce programs amid the annual exams. If we receive a positive response from the government, we are ready to continue academic activities.”
The Ministry of Primary and Mass Education had earlier formed a nine-member advisory committee to advance the standard of primary and non-formal education and strengthen the management system as well as the structure in Education. Dr. Manzoor Ahmed, emeritus professor at BRAC University, heads the committee. Recently, the Ministry of Education also formed another committee, also led by Professor Manzoor Ahmed, to improve the quality of secondary education. Speaking to Bonik Barta on the impact of ongoing protests on students, he said, “Students are inevitably affected when teachers go on strike. The impact is even more severe if it happens on the eve of exams or during exams. There are numerous crises in the education sector, and there are gaps in teachers’ benefits. Their demands are not unreasonable. But such issues could be resolved through dialogue. The recent wave of teacher protests might be evidence that no one is thinking about the students, mainly the students who are affected.”
Stating that although all governments claim to prioritize education, none have actually done so, he further added, “In fact, no government has given priority to education. As a result, the crisis in education has increased day by day. The crises that now afflict the education sector won’t be resolved overnight. The Secondary Education Advisory Committee has already held its first meeting. We will organize meetings with stakeholders across districts. We will gather everyone’s feedback, analyze the issues, and identify the crises before recommending specific measures.”