Govt Secondary Teachers Suspend Strike, Annual Exams to Resume

Government secondary school teachers have suspended their ongoing work stoppage for the sake of the students.

Alongside this, they have announced that the annual examinations will resume in over 700 government secondary schools starting Wednesday.

The decision was communicated late Tuesday night (December 2) via a press release issued by the Bangladesh Government Secondary Teachers Association (BASMASHISH).

Previously, the teachers had been continuing their work stoppage over four demands, including setting pay grades in the 9th grade and the swift formation of an independent Directorate of Secondary Education.

The press release stated that following the temporary suspension of the strike and the decision to hold the annual exams, the teachers will return to conducting the annual school examinations starting tomorrow, Wednesday (December 3).

Key points from the press release

Consideration for Students: The decision to temporarily suspend the BASMASHISH-declared work stoppage was made in consideration of ensuring that students' educational activities are not hampered in any way.

Addressing Anxiety: Recognizing the mental stress and uncertainty faced by students and guardians due to the exam disruption, the decision to return to educational activities was taken out of a sense of responsibility, as annual exams are crucial for students' academic progress.

Call for Cooperation: The Association stated, "We believe that protecting the future of our students and bringing their education back to a normal course is one of our primary responsibilities.

Therefore, we urge all concerned parties to cooperate to successfully complete the annual examinations starting tomorrow (December 3)."

The release also called on the relevant authorities to take immediate and effective measures to move forward in resolving their legitimate demands so that educational activities are not obstructed in the future.

Gratitude was expressed to those who spontaneously participated in the strike, and it was noted that the next course of action will be announced quickly after discussions.

Background

On Monday (December 1), government secondary school teachers, under the banner of the Bangladesh Government Secondary Teachers Association, began an indefinite work stoppage with four specific demands.

Consequently, news reports indicated that annual examinations were not held in various government secondary schools across the country, including Dhaka, for two days (December 1 and 2).

The four demands were

1. Publishing a gazette for the 'Directorate of Secondary Education' by inducting Assistant Teachers into the BCS (General Education) Cadre.
2. Swiftly implementing the recruitment, promotion, and posting of teachers in various vacant positions within the school and inspection branches.
3. Issuing approval orders for pending time scale and selection grade benefits in line with the Supreme Court's verdict.
4. Reinstating and publishing a gazette for the benefit of two to three increments, plus advance increased salary, for assistant teachers, as was done before 2015.