DHAKA:  Leaders of country’s non-government primary schoolteachers Thursday issued an ultimatum giving the government until July 31 to meet their demands, including nationalization of their jobs, failing which they would go for a “greater movement”.

Addressing a news conference at Dhaka Reporters’ Unity office they noted that the government has allotted Tk 17,959 crore for the education sector in the proposed budget 2010-11, of which Tk 8,073.95 crore will go for primary and mass education.  Of the amount, non-government primary teachers will get Tk 544.85 crore.

They deplored that they get lesser pay than that of the government primary teachers because of lesser fringe benefits. The leaders demanded Tk 488.59 crore in the new budget for the primary teachers to bridge the gap between the benefits for the two categories of teachers.

The statement of the teachers distributed among the newsmen showed that Tk 250.81 crore would be required to remove the discrepancy.

When asked, president of the non-government primary teachers association Mohammad Abdus Salam said, “There might be mistakes, but we want the difference resolved.”

General Secretary of the association Mrigendra Saha said the students of non-government primary schools did better results in the primary certificate examination held this year.


BDST/1655, June 24, 2010
MSI/EH/MUA