For the first time in Bangladesh, guardians in several schools assisted in conducting primary school examinations after a significant number of assistant teachers abstained from exam duties to press for an upgrade in their service grade and salary.
On Monday, when some assistant teachers did not report for final exam duty, guardians stepped in to support head teachers in administering tests for classes 1 to 5. The nationwide final examinations began with the Bangla paper across all public primary schools.
Primary Education Directorate Director General Abu Noor Md Shamsuzzaman told TIMES of Bangladesh, “The guardians did not interfere in the examination process; rather, they assisted the head teachers. We involved the community to ensure that school activities continued smoothly.”
He added that exams were conducted without major disruption in most schools, though a few institutions faced challenges on the first day. Upazila education officers, teachers from nearby schools, and guardians helped keep the process running where needed.
Riaz Parvez, president of the Primary School Head Teachers’ Association, said most assistant teachers in Dhaka were present for duty.
However, the situation was markedly different outside the capital. Assistant teachers in Gaibandha, Rangpur, and Bogura confirmed that they joined the strike and stayed away from schools as part of their programme.
In several areas, guardians expressed frustration over the timing of the strike. “We support their demand for a salary increase, but striking just before the final exam is unacceptable,” said one guardian.
Meanwhile, the strike had minimal impact in the three districts of the Chittagong Hill Tracts. An assistant teacher in Rangamati said they follow the Zila Parishad’s directives, which did not support the strike.
