Assistant teachers at government primary schools across the country will begin a full-day work abstention from Monday (May 26) as part of their ongoing protest to press home a three-point demand.

The half-day work abstention that began earlier will end on Sunday (May 25), said Mohammad Shamsuddin Masud, president of the Bangladesh Government Primary School Assistant Teachers’ Association and coordinator of Oikya Parishad, the teachers’ alliance.

The teachers warned that the full-day abstention will continue until their demands are met.

Their protest began on May 5 with a one-hour daily work abstention. It was later extended to two hours from May 16 to 20, and then to half-day from May 21 to 25.

The teachers’ three-point demand includes: implementing the recommendation of the consultation committee by redesignating the assistant teacher post as an entry-level position with pay under grade-11; removing complications in getting higher grades after 10 and 16 years of service; and ensuring 100 percent promotion to head teacher positions with quicker promotion processes.

They also urged that schools remain closed on Fridays and Saturdays as per existing rules, and that primary scholarship exams be limited to students enrolled in government primary schools only.

MSK/