The High Court has issued a rule over giving the 10th grade of the national pay scale to the assistant teachers of government primary schools.
In the rule, the court asked the concerned bodies of the government to explain in four weeks as to why the failure or inaction of the respondents to upgrade the pay scale of the petitioners for the post of primary assistant teachers from grade-13 to grade-10 should not be declared illegal.
It also asked to explain as to why the respondents should not be directed to upgrade the pay scale of the petitioners for the post of primary assistant teachers from grade-13 to grade-10.
The chairman of the Public Service Commission (PSC), Law secretary, and Director General of the Directorate of Primary Education have been asked to comply with the rule.
The High Court bench of Justice Md Ashfaqul Islam and Justice Md Shohrowardi passed the order on Monday after hearing a writ petition filed in this regard.
Md Mahbubur Rahman and 14 other assistant teachers of the primary schools filed the writ petition on November 8 this year demanding 10th grade for them.
Barrister Syed Sayedul Haque Suman appeared in the court hearing on behalf of the writ petitioners, while Deputy Attorney General Barrister Kazi Maynul Hassan represented the state.
The HC also ordered the authorities to expeditiously dispose of the application submitted to the office of the secretary of the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education demanding to upgrade the salary structure of assistant teachers to the second class (10th grade).
This application was submitted by the '10th Grade Implementation Coordination Council for Primary Assistant Teachers' on November 30 last year.
Barrister Syed Sayedul Haque said, “The pay structure of the assistant teachers of the primary schools is class III, whereas a senior nurse with similar educational qualification is paid in the second class (10th grade) rank.”
The High Court on February 25 in 2019 directed the government to grant 10th grade of the national pay scale to the head teachers of the government primary schools and to grant the benefit of selection grade and time on completion of 4, 8 and 12 years service respectively which makes a significant pay difference between head teachers and Assistant teachers, said the petition.
