Primary teachers suspend school shutdown to hold annual exams

Assistant teachers of government primary schools suspended their shutdown programme and said they will open the schools for annual examinations from tomorrow (Sunday).

The Primary Teachers' Demand Implementation Council and the Bangladesh Primary Assistant Teachers' Association Unity Council made the announcement on Thursday night.

Considering ethical and humanitarian grounds and the wellbeing of students -- who are"like our own children", the complete shutdown or school-locking programme in all government primary schools is being suspended until the completion of the third-term or annual examinations, starting on Sunday, a joint-statement issued by the councils said.

The statement further said that the exams will proceed as scheduled.

It also said that the next course of action will be announced later based on discussions between the implementation council and the unity council.

Earlier to press home their three-point demand, assistant teachers began an indefinite work stoppage on November 27. Afterwards, they demanded "immediate"implementation of monthly wage under the 11th-grade pay scale.

They later declared a boycott of the annual examinations scheduled to start on December 1.

On December 2, they enforced a complete shutdown by locking school gates.

The teachers' programmes disrupted annual examinations in most primary schools across the country.

In some places, head teachers conducted exams with support from the upazila administration and parents, but this led to chaos and disorder in many centres.

talhabinhabib@yahoo.com