DU Correspondent
The ministry of primary and mass education (MoPME) issued a circular Sunday upgrading the existing status of the head teachers of the government primary schools to the second class, sources said.
Besides, the notification also contains a new salary structure for the assistant teachers of the country's elementary schools, which is being appreciated by the teachers' community.
Sources at the MoPME confirmed the FE that following an order from President Md Abdul Hamid the ministry sent the circular containing the new status and salary structure of the primary school teachers to the officials concerned.
They said the MoPME has taken the initiative after the announcement made by Prime Minister Sheikh Haisna Sunday while inaugurating the 'National Primary School Education Week-2014' in the capital.
A letter signed by Senior Assistant Secretary (education) Zazrin Nahar was circulated addressing the officials concerned including the cabinet secretary and the chief secretary of the Prime Minister's Office to take necessary steps in this connection.
In the letter Ms Nahar said that according the new scale the trained head teachers will receive Tk 6,400 instead of Tk 5,500 as basic salary while the untrained teachers will get Tk 5,900 instead of the previous Tk 5,200.
Meanwhile, the trained assistant teachers, who now get Tk 4,900, will receive Tk 5,200 (grade-14) and untrained assistant teachers will receive Tk 4,900 (grade-15) against their present pay of Tk 4,700.
"The new status and the salary structure will be effective from Sunday," Ms Nahar added.
Around 60,000 headmasters and 350,000 assistant teachers of the country's primary schools will enjoy the new scale and status from now on.
Badrul Alam, a leader of Bangladesh Government Primary School Teachers' Association (BGPSTA) hailed the government's move and urged the authorities concerned to take necessary initiatives for its immediate implementation.
He, however, demanded of the government to increase other facilities like appointment of office assistants for the primary schools as the teachers themselves have to perform clerical work apart from their teaching activities.
The ministry of public administration on November 26, 2013 approved the move to increase pay scales and grades of the primary school teaching posts.
