teacher motivation and incentives in bangladesh a

TEACHER MOTIVATION AND INCENTIVES IN BANGLADESH

A situation analysis

M NAZMUL HAQ Institute of Education and Research

University of Dhaka Bangladesh

and

M. SAJIDUL ISLAM

Consultant, Quality Education for All Team Dhaka, Bangladesh

December 2005 Dhaka, Bangladesh

i

Contents ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iii

ACRONYMS iv

1. INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 Study objectives and methodology 1

1.2 Prioritising education 1

1.3 The schooling system 2

2. MOTIVATION LEVELS AND PATTERNS 4

3. KEY DETERMINANTS OF MOTIVATION 6

3.1 Teacher competence 6

3.2 Teacher management 7

3.3 Working conditions 9

3.4 Standard of living 10

4. IMPACT ON TEACHER PERFORMANCE 13

Teacher recruitment 13

Teacher deployment 14

Teacher attendance 15

Teacher behaviour 16

Learning outcomes 18

5. RECOMMENDATIONS 21

APPENDIX 1 People Interviewed/Discussed 23

APPENDIX 2 National Pay Scales and Teachers’ Salaries.. 25

APPENDIX 3 Teachers’ Allowances 28

REFERENCES

Tables Table 1.1 Students and teachers at primary and secondary schools (rounded ‘000) 2

Table 3.1 Total gross monthly incomes of teachers at government primary and

secondary schools, January 2005 11

Table 3.2 Real income trends for trained government teachers (starting salaries) 11

Table 3.3 Conditions of service for teachers at government and registered

non-government schools 14

Table 4.1 Primary teacher student ratio 14

Table 4.2 Qualification profile of teachers 14

Table 4.3 Teacher absenteeism rates, March 2005 15

Table 4.4 Reasons for teacher absences 18

Table 4.5 Primary school enrolment, learning achievement and literacy, 2005 19

Table 4.6 Distribution of teachers by type of school and gender 19

ii

Box Box 4.1 Title? 17

Appendix Tables Table A2.1 National Pay Scales, 1985-2005 25

Table A2.2 Teachers’ salary scale 27

Table A3.1 Teacher allowances 28

Table A3.2 Tiffin allowances for teachers 28

Table A3.3 House rent allowance calculation (applicable only to government

teachers/employees) 29

Table A3.4 Types of institutions by number of teachers and students 30

Table A4.5 Primary teacher salaries since 1990 31

Table A3.6 Secondary teacher salaries since 1990 32

iii

ACRONYMS AHT Assistant Head Teacher

AT Assistant Teacher

BANBEIS Bangladesh Bureau of Educational Information and Statistics

BBS Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics

BEd Bachelor of Education

BISE Boards of Intermediate and Secondary Education

BNFE Bureau of Non-formal Education

C-in-ED Certificate in Education

CPEIMU

Compulsory Primary Education Implementation Monitoring Unit

COM

Community School

Dip-in Ed Diploma in Education

DM Dahl Marsha

DPE Directorate of Primary Education

DSHE Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education

EB Efficiency Bar After successful completion of 7 years of service then s/he is eligible for EB and any one cross the EB then H/S will get Tk. 5-10 more as a yearly increment.

EM Ebtedayee Madrasha

EMIS Educational Management Information System

GOB Government of Bangladesh

GPS Government Primary School

GSS Government Secondary School

H/AMAD High Madrasha Attached EM

H/APS High School Attached Primary School

HSC Higher Secondary Certificate

HT Head Teacher

JSS Junior Secondary School

KG Kindergarten

iv

MEd Masters of Education

MOE Ministry of Education

MOPME Ministry of Primary and Mass Education

MPO Monthly Payment Order

NAPE National Academy for Primary Education

NGO Non Government Organization

NGO School NGO run full Primary School

NGPS Non Government Non Registered Primary School

NGSS Non Government Secondary School

PTA Parent Teacher Association

PTI Exp.

Primary Training Institute attached Primary School Section

RNGPS Registered Non Government Primary School

SMC School Management Committee

SSC Secondary School Certificate

TK Taka (Bangladeshi Currency)

YI Yearly Increment

1

1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 STUDY OBJECTIVES AND METHODOLOGY This paper summarises the key findings and recommendations of a review of teacher motivation and incentives in Bangladesh, focusing in particular on primary schools. Teacher motivation is a subject, which has not received much attention from educational researchers or authorities in Bangladesh, yet it plays a critically important role in achieving educational goals. The paper first assesses current levels and patterns of teacher motivation and then examines some of the key determinants of teacher motivation including workload, class size, professional development, management and pay.

The analysis draws mainly on secondary data. Teachers’ feelings about and reactions to professional contexts are widely documented in newspapers, and educational reports. However, key stakeholders were also interviewed in order to obtain their views about teacher motivation and incentives. Confidential, semi-structured interviews were conducted with three primary school teachers, three government officials responsible for primary and secondary education, one school manager, one senior manager form an education NGO and two with parents. 1.2 PRIORITISING EDUCATION With a population of 130 million, Bangladesh has one of the largest primary school systems in the world. Development of primary education poses a daunting challenge because of inaccessibility and resource constraints. However, remarkable progress has been achieved and the gross enrolment rate is now 97 percent. When Bangladesh became independent in 1971, it inherited an outdated education system developed by Pakistan suit its own socio-economic and political needs. Bangladesh’s leaders were burdened with the enormous and difficult responsibility of educating the people of a war-torn, devastated, and poor nation. The nation, however, with its inspired freedom-movement, pledged to meet the responsibility of educating all of its citizens. The new Constitution established education as a right of every individual and made the government responsible for providing public education for the first five grades. Furthermore, the constitution states that:

“The State shall adopt effective measures for the purpose of (a) establishing a uniform, mass-oriented and universal system of education and extending free and compulsory education to all children to such stage as may be determined by law; (b) relating education to the needs of the society and producing properly trained and motivated citizens to serve those needs; and (c) removing illiteracy within such time as may be determined by law.”1

1 Constitution of Bangladesh, Government of Bangladesh (1973).

2

In order to fulfil this obligation nationalised all private and locally operated primary schools) in 1973. As a result, 157,724 teachers in 36,165 schools became government employees. Over the next four decades, the government has implemented five Five-Year Plans and two Two-Year Plans, which have significantly improved education provision. These improvements have, however, focused mainly on infrastructure, curriculum and teaching-learning materials. 1.3 THE SCHOOLING SYSTEM There are 78,000 primary and 16,000 secondary schools in Bangladesh (see Table 1.1). The Directorate of Primary Education in the Ministry of Education is entirely responsible for the management and supervision of formal primary education. The DPE employs 162,000 teachers, equips and maintains close to 37,800 government primary schools, supports (through subventions) 21,300 non-government and over 5,000 madrasah (religious) schools, and maintains an administrative infrastructure from the head office in Dhaka down to each school. The DPE has three main administrative tiers, namely division, district and upazila. The key functional responsibilities of the DPE include construction, curriculum development, textbook distribution, in-service training, recruitment, and teacher postings and transfers. Table 1.1: Students and teachers at primary and secondary schools (rounded ‘000)2

Number schools

Teachers Students Total Female Total Female

Primary Government Non-government Other Total

38

21 19 78

62

85 73

220

61

25 30 115

10,830

4,463 2,365

17,658

5,364

2,201 1,104 8,669

Secondary Non-government junior secondary Government secondary Non-government secondary Total

3

0.3

13

16

32.3

21 7

155

183

366

3

2

24

30

59

732

221

6,933

7,887

15773

439

101

3,655

4,196

8391 Each upazila has an Upazila Education Officer and several Assistant Upazila Education Officers who are responsible for school supervision and academic support to teachers. Each AUEO is supposed to supervise 20-30 schools, but in reality they have to visit over 70 schools. An AUEO is expected to make at least 10 visits a month, which is difficult to achieve given their other duties.3 On average, each school is visited every three to four months, although studies show that some schools are 2 Bangladesh Bureau of Educational Statistics (BANBEIS). 3 The AUEO is given Tk. 200 per month for meeting the expenses related to his/her school

supervisions. This amount does not reflect the actual cost of supervisions.

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visited by an AUEO only once a year. Visits are largely AUEO’s inspections and not to provide support. Other officials have even fewer opportunities to conduct school visits. None of the primary schools have an office secretary, an orderly or even a cleaner or sweeper. Office maintenance and cleaning instead add to teachers’ non-teaching related workload. A large and growing number of schools are run by non-government organisations, which have well-conceived learning strategies that help children to become literate and numerate. NGOs are particularly active in the delivery of primary education to the most economically disadvantaged children. They enrol more than two million students and have adopted innovative approaches and teaching methods. Class sizes in NGO schools are generally kept to 30-33 students. Passing rates in these schools are close to 100 percent. Teachers at these schools are less qualified, but they are more closely supervised. Government funds all expenditures in government schools and pays for 70-90 percent of teacher salary costs in non-government registered schools. The government also makes grants to non-government schools for the repair of school buildings. Government and non-government registered schools receive free textbooks. NGOs are responsible for providing their own textbooks and other learning materials, which are distributed free of cost.

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2. MOTIVATION LEVELS AND PATTERNS The overwhelming consensus from both the secondary documentation and the interviews is that overall levels of teacher job satisfaction and motivation in Bangladesh are low in primary and secondary schools. The teacher interview respondents were very dissatisfied with their pay and allowances and other conditions of service. The most commonly mentioned factors that adversely affect job satisfaction and motivation among teachers in Bangladesh are as follows:

• poor remuneration and other conditions of service • unattractive school locations • limited physical facilities (including availability of furniture) • lack of opportunities for further teacher-training • heavy workloads • virtually non-existent promotion and career paths • unruly student behaviour • problematic relationships with the community • dysfunctional School Management Committees • other school quality factors including very limited teaching and learning

resources. There is broad agreement that teachers in rural schools are more disadvantaged because the majority is situated in remote locations with poor communications, which means that teachers feel isolated and disinterested in transferring to such locations. Given that the facilities at rural schools are often so poor, teachers are not usually prepared to live near the school. They have therefore to commute long distances (often up to 30 kilometres), which leaves them tired and lacking energy for teaching. The Director of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE) and other MOE respondents noted that job satisfaction and motivation tends to be higher among government teachers because, unlike their colleagues in the private sector, they have high levels of job security. Teachers at private schools depend entirely on the School Management Committees. These respondents also felt that secondary school teachers are better motivated than primary school teachers because of better remuneration, lighter course-loads, and greater scope to earn income from private tuition. Teachers universally dislike the practice of ‘speed payments’ (money paid to facilitate speedy action or influence decisions such as eligibility for transfer, promotion, ‘efficiency bar’4, payment of contingency bills). In effect, this is a form of bribery. When auditors / inspectors come to both government and non-government schools to update records and expenditures, schools are expected to give speed payment to auditors for this service. In general, speed payments are expected for any type of work teachers need supported by higher level officials. A Directorate of Primary Education (DPE) monitoring report found that nearly 40 percent of teachers at government 4 Efficiency Bar’ - After successful completion of 7 years of service teachers are eligible for EB which

entitles them to get Tk. 5-10 more as a yearly increment.

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secondary schools had to make speed payments in order to budget approved. Similarly, teachers at primary school teachers are expected to make speed payments to the Accounts Offices at Upazila Education Offices in order to pass their bills. Although these payments are common and an expected part of teachers’ lives, it is a de-motivating and frustrating experience.

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3. KEY DETERMINANTS OF MOTIVATION Teachers’ commitment to teaching and motivation in carrying out their professional responsibilities is hugely affected by their own level of competence, and the conditions and factors which directly or indirectly impinge on their job satisfaction and attitude to work. This section provides an overview of the factors that are impacting on teacher motivation in Bangladesh 3.1 TEACHER COMPETENCE Teacher competence has a direct bearing on student learning and achievement. Poorly trained teachers or teachers who lack the necessary skills and knowledge to handle the day to day requirements of teaching in schools are more likely to feel the strain of teaching and have low job satisfaction. The general view which emerged from interviews with stakeholders is that, teacher training in Bangladesh is not adequately linked to what teachers need to survive the difficult and challenges conditions of teaching and learning in the typical primary school. In-service training is sporadic and teacher support at school level is weak. There is no systematic and concerted plan to upgrade the teaching skills of all primary school teachers. Thus, one cannot speak of consistent and above average performance of all teachers, as there is wide variability in the quality and quantity of teacher training they receive, at both pre- and in-service teacher training level. Formal schools Teachers at government and non-government formal primary schools receive subject-based training at Primary Teacher Institutes (PTIs) and Upazila Resource Centres (URC) as well as ad hoc training as part of specific, mainly donor-funded projects. However, overall training capacity remains limited. There are still about 100,000 untrained teachers still working in non-government formal primary schools, but only around 6,000 teachers attend PTI training courses each year. PTI curricula are heavily theoretical and descriptive with limited scope for activity-based learning. Chalk and talk teaching methods predominate and practical skills are not emphasised. The majority of PTI instructors have education degrees, but most have had relatively little, if any, work experience in primary schools. One recent study concluded that PTI training makes no difference to learning outcomes among students.5 Sub-cluster training is another important type of INSET. Training is organised around groups of 20 to 30 primary schools under the supervision of an Assistant Upizila Education Officer who supervises and trains teachers at all government and non-government registered schools as well as at some community schools. Teachers are expected to participate in one-day training sessions every month. A leaflet containing the topic is distributed in advance. This programme has been running for ten years during which time 82 leaflets have been produced.6 AUEOs also frequently lack the required knowledge and skills to perform their demanding training roles. Most are 5 Alam M. and Haq M. N. (2000). A question of quality; state of primary education in Bangladesh:

The Watch Report. Volume III, Dhaka: Campaign for Popular Education and University Press Ltd.

6 Directorate of Primary Education (2000).

7

recruited directly from university, and then receive they only three month training at NAPE.7 Teachers in districts covered by the IDEAL project have received training in Multiple Ways of Teaching Learning, which is delivered in two workshops of five and three days duration. However, this training has not been extended to teachers outside of the project. The project, ‘Effective Schools Through Enhanced Education Management’ (ESTEEM), has also trained large numbers of head teachers. These two projects have made a significant impact on school and teacher quality in many schools. However, the main limitation of project-related training is that, in many cases, it is provided only to head or senior teachers so that other teachers can only benefit if the trained teacher is prepared to share their learning, which is rarely the case. Another drawback is that the training courses are not accredited and do not therefore have any direct impact on career progression. Finally, Upazila Resource Centres provide in-service subject-based training. Each centre has an AUEO, a computer operator and a messenger. The instructor is responsible for management of the URC and AUEO is responsible for the academic aspects of the centre. Promotion prospects for most teachers are very limited. Consequently, only around 5-10 percent of teachers manage to get promoted to higher positions during their careers. For many teachers, then, professional development opportunities have only two advantages. First, they offer a change to their normal routine and an opportunity to travel to other parts of the country. Second, and perhaps more importantly, they help teachers expand their private tutoring activities. Many primary and secondary teachers tutor privately, which is a lucrative source of income, which can double or even triple a teacher’s monthly income. Non-formal schools Non-formal schools run by NGOs have adopted markedly different approaches to teacher training. Teachers at BRAC schools receive only 10-15 days of pre-service training followed by 1-2 days of ‘refresher’ training each month. Intensive supervision is seen as an essential compensatory measure for the relatively short pre-service training. 3.2 TEACHER MANAGEMENT Without proper management, teachers become de-motivated and are likely to perform badly. For years, there have been persistent and deep-seated concerns about teacher management at all levels of the education system in Bangladesh. As will be discussed below, some efforts have been made during the last decade to redress this problem, but there is still a very way to go.

7 JBIC Bangladesh education sector overview, Dhaka: Japan Bank of International Cooperation ,

Tokyo, Japan. (2002).

8

Overview The overall management of the education system is highly centralised with the Ministry of Education tightly controlling the recruitment and deployment of teachers to schools. Although numerous reports have recommended major decentralisation of key aspects of primary-school management (see NEP 2000, and NEC, 003), this has never been implemented. In part this is because there are concerns that decentralisation might exacerbate the opportunistic behaviour of teachers and field-level officials. Another advantage of centralised management is that it provides a bureaucratic block to politicians and local elites who might seek to exercise power at the upazila and school level. As noted earlier, the DFID-supported ESTEEM project, which operated for five years up until 2004 has helped to improve primary school management at all levels. Professional development activities were delivered within a clear and functional local management framework that enabled quality improvement through academic supervision, quality assurance, an inspection system and monitoring of progress. Over 8,000 head teachers from 38 districts were trained in a 12-day programme in several phases. The project also developed for the first time new job descriptions for the DPEOs, UEOs and AUEOs that account for their quality development. ESTEEM’s final evaluation found that most of these officers are over-burdened and have difficulty in meeting their job requirements8. As well, ESTEEM included a mechanism to provide academic supervision to teachers in school. At least once every three months, AUEOs visited schools for a day to observe in-class teaching-learning practices, talk to the head teacher for managerial support, and motivate community members for support. The evaluation team suggested that regular academic supervision might not be realistic due to time constraints for the concerned persons; many participants, however, were committed to achieving these objectives despite any challenges to doing so. Community involvement Prior to 1974, local people and philanthropic individuals supported primary schools in their localities. The nationalisation of primary education, however, resulted in a public perception that the responsibility of providing formal education to children lies solely with the government. To improve public participation, local bodies have been formed that assist school management. In order to mobilise communities for the implementation of compulsory primary education, 13,380 Ward Committees, 4,450 Union Committees, 481 Upazila Education Committees and 64 District Education Committees have been constituted. School Managing Committees (SMC) and Parent Teacher Associations (PTA) have also been empowered to appoint teachers in satellite and community schools that are not government managed. Madrasas and NGO schools also have managing committees similar to SMCs. There is widespread dissatisfaction with how SMCs are functioning. Generally the government has assigned the following five roles to SMCs:

8 Wood J. et al (2004) Bangladesh: Evaluation of ESTEEM Project. Dhaka: DFID.

9

• Conduct school development work including schoolhouse and road construction/repair and keeping school environment conducive to children’s learning;

• Ensure all school-aged children (6-12 years) in the community attend school; • Monitor and supervise school activities and performance; • Help manage sub-cluster training, PTA, stipends, and co-curricular activities; • Coordinate and resolve various school-related problems by involving

community people and upazila education office. Although SMCs have been given such substantial responsibilities, they have not been accorded sufficient authority over the control of financial and human resources. Head teachers and local political elites also tend to dominate proceedings. Patronage is also common with head teachers filling SMCs with their friend and relatives and politicians view membership as a reward for their supporters. SMCs often function to ‘rubber-stamp’ decisions made by the head teacher and meetings tend to be irregular. Although women have reserved places on SMCs, their involvement is invariably limited. These problems are even more acute at registered non-government primary schools because these schools are established by people with a first and foremost interest in profit and with little shared group interest in the development of the school. The SMC of such schools have little opportunity to run the school in the best interest of the school, rather they function to meet the needs of powerful committee members. The main objective of the IDEAL project was to improve the standard of education through the coordinated efforts of SMCs, teachers, students and guardians. The project is to be gradually expanded to all communities through the Primary Education Development Programmes-II. The ESTEEM project also developed innovative interventions targeted to capacity building and social mobilisation. Parent teacher associations are seen as another key forum for creating an effective school-community partnership in education, which will have a positive impact on teacher motivation and performance. Unfortunately, though, most PTAs are ineffective. The majority of PTAs exist only on paper only and have no actual power to run a school or guide teachers. In contrast, non-formal schools provide a positive example of the positive impact parent involvement can have on school management. These schools convene monthly mothers’ assemblies to discuss common concerns and explore ways how children can be supported both by the school and family. They have demonstrated how the effective involvement of parents, especially of mothers, can be promoted through a less structured forum for dialogue and sharing between parents, teachers and school authorities. This approach helps meet the common objective of helping children learn better. 3.3 WORKING CONDITIONS Of the nine types of primary schools all except Government Primary Schools are under-resourced and suffer in terms of location and physical and financial conditions.

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Schools are funded by local donations, government subvention, and personal and individual support. Primary schools in the religious streams, known as ‘ebtedaye madrasahs’, operate solely on community donations. As a result, most of these schools are in poor condition. The higher madrasahs, however, do receive government subventions from time to time. The majority of government and registered non-government schools have no source of private revenue. However, in some schools, funds are raised from teachers, SMC members, local elites, political leaders, community people and other individual sources. Some institutions have discovered other ways of meeting expenses by leveraging resources. For example, government schools have leased their ponds for fishing and have constructed rooms to rent out as shops, and planted fruit trees. In some schools, teachers make regular monthly contributions (typically Tk.100) to a fund to meet ‘urgent’ school needs. In some cases, money is also collected from students to meet unforeseen expenditures. Madrasas or religious institutions are more active than primary schools in mobilising financial resources. Many NGO schools also have their own funds, which they have raised from contributions of local people and charities. On occasion, these schools also receive funds from government or other external donors. For example, BRAC schools receive support from their parent organisation and do not have funds for their own. Excessive workloads are also a key issue. Government primary teachers are expected to teach for nearly seven hours every day (from 0930 to 1615) without a break. Class sizes are also generally very large. The lack of support staff in primary schools makes large classes particularly unmanageable. Rural teachers also get very little assistance. The DPE does not recognize or compensate teachers for their heavy workloads. 3.4 STANDARD OF LIVING Both the government and trade union interview respondents agree that teacher pay in Bangladesh is seriously inadequate. It is neither commensurate with the high level of skills required for effective job performance nor does it cover even the most basic subsistence needs. Most teachers in Bangladesh find it difficult to meet basic expenditures on food, housing, clothing and transport and virtually impossible to save for the future. Though most teachers have radios and televisions, very few have refrigerators or other modern household appliances. Despite their very low standard of living, teachers are still expected to maintain high ethical standards of conduct both in and outside school, possess a sacrificing spirit, and devote their life to the cause of education. With such limited income and low social recognition, it is not surprising that levels of job satisfaction and motivation are so low. Government teachers Table 3.1 summarises the basic and total remuneration of teachers at government primary and secondary schools. Teachers are paid a housing allowance of 40-45

11

percent of base salary plus flat rate allowances for medical expenses (Tk.400) and tiffin (Tk.100). Both primary and secondary school teachers can roughly double their income over a 20-year period9. Table 3.1: Total gross monthly incomes of teachers at government primary and secondary schools, January 2005

PRIMARY SECONDARY Bottom scale Top scale Bottom scale Top scale BASIC PAY Trained teacher 3000 5920 5100 10360 Non-trained 2800 4870 na na Trained headteacher 3100 6380 11000 17650 TOTAL PAY Trained teacher 4850 9084 7895 15522 Non-trained 4270 7562 na na Trained headteacher Notes: Total pay includes medical, tiffin and housing allowances. Teacher pay scales have 18 increments and one efficiency bar. It is noticeable that the income differential between trained and non-trained primary school teachers is only 12-17 percent, which means that there is relatively little financial incentive for untrained teachers to upgrade their qualifications. The income differential between head teachers and teachers is small at primary schools, but quite sizeable at secondary schools. Secondary school teachers are paid around two-thirds more than primary school teachers. A trained teacher with around ten years experience earned around Tk. 4000 in early 2005. Although this amounts to only $hh per day, it is gg times GDP per capita. The annual salary increment for government primary school teacher is less than one dollar and the starting salary is little more than the pay of a government driver. Even though teacher pay is low, in real terms, the value of the teacher’s salary has doubled since 1990 (see Table 3.2). Table 3.2: Real income trends for trained government teachers (starting salaries) (2005 prices) 1990 1995 2000 2005 Primary Income 1615 3310 2701 3500 Index 100 205 167 217 Secondary Income 4428 5642 6666 7895 Index 100 127 151 178

9 As of June 2005, a new pay commission will result in an increase of entry-level pay to 4,000

Taka.

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Non-government and NGO teachers Prior to 1994, non-government teachers received a monthly salary subvention from government of Tk.500.00. Since then, they have been paid on the basis of the national pay scales for government teachers. Initially, teachers were paid between 50-70 percent of the basic government pay depending on experience. However, the basic pay of newly appointed teacher at a registered non-government school is now 70 percent that of a government teacher and this rises to 90 percent for teachers with more than five years experience. As can be observed in Table 3.3, the allowances paid to non-government teachers are much less and, once this is taken into account, the income differential between the two groups of teachers is over 50 percent. Table 3.3: Conditions of service for teachers at government and registered non-government schools

REMUNERATION GOVERNMENT NON-GOVERNMENT Salary Eligible for basic salary 70-90 percent of basic salary House rent 40 – 55percent Tk.100/month (fixed) Medical allowance Tk.400 (fixed) Tk.150/month (fixed) Tiffin allowance Tk.100 / month Two festival allowances per year (25

percent of basic salary) Rest and recreation allowance

Equivalent to basic salary every three years

Not eligible

Yearly increment and efficiency bar

Eligible Not eligible

Time-scaled salary increase

After 8, 12 and 15 years of service

Not eligible

Pension Eligible Not eligible With such low incomes, many teachers are forced to earn additional income from part-time, ‘secondary’ activities.

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4. IMPACT ON TEACHER PERFORMANCE Teacher motivation is crucial for effective delivery of education. A de-motivated teaching force is a liability to the education system as well thought through reforms will remain sterile in the hands of teachers who are not committed to the goals of educational reform. Low motivation impacts on teacher behaviour and shows itself in attitudes to attendance, punctuality, time on task, and ultimately the performance output of teachers. This section explores the kind of impact low teacher motivation is having on teacher behaviour and performance in Bangladesh. It begins with a look at teacher policies and practices on recruitment and deployment and how these may be contributing to teacher motivation levels. 4.1 TEACHER RECRUITMENT Most teachers are recruited in two different ways. For government primary schools, the DPE advertises vacant posts in the daily newspapers. Both oral and written selection tests and interviews are used to screen candidates. Teachers who are appointed are posted to schools all over the country, regardless of their home area, which makes it very difficult to find suitable accommodation, especially for female teachers. There are also lapses in the process through corruption and malpractice. Despite these problems the selection procedure has been maintained. The number of vacant positions is based on a student-teacher ratio of 1:60. In non-government, community, and private schools, SMCs are responsible for teacher recruitment, mostly on the basis of interviews. Teachers in these schools are usually recruited from the local community and, for this reason, suitable candidates are not always available.10 Selected candidates have to be formally approved by the RNGPS Project Implementation Unit. Although the number of positions depends on student enrolment there is a minimum of 9 posts for NGSS teachers. Community schools follow a similar process although priority is given to candidates who are stronger in English and mathematics. Government lays down the minimum selection criteria for teachers. Primary school teachers must have a Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and secondary school teachers must be college graduates or have a degree pass. About 15-20 percent of teachers exceed these minimum qualifications. Primary school teachers who do have the Certificate in Education are required to attend a 12-month course at a PTI within two years of their appointment. In one study, focus group participants11 pinpointed the problems of teacher recruitment in the majority of schools. SMC members, parents, teachers, Assistant Upazila Education Officers and Upazila Education Officers all mentioned corruption in the process of teacher recruitment (see below).

10 In RNGPS schools, for instance, if four positions are available in a school with no headteacher,

two of the places must go to women and a senior teacher is appointed to act as head and given an allowance of 50 taka.

11 Education Watch Report 2003/4 (2005)

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4.2 TEACHER DEPLOYMENT High vacancy rates are symptomatic of the serious problems that are encountered in deploying teachers around the country. The 2004 vacancy rates for government and non-government schools were 16 and 8 percent respectively in 2004. School staffing is very unsatisfactory. Student-teacher ratios can be as high as 400 in urban schools and 250 in rural schools. The STRs for primary and secondary education as a whole are 1:60 and 1:40 respectively. Urban schools have, on average, more than seven teachers and rural schools have four. Most schools are seriously overcrowded with students. The distribution and number of teachers in schools and student-teacher ratios affect the quality of educational provision. Although the one-teacher school is an acceptable norm in non-formal primary schools, in traditional schools, adequate staffing of teachers has been a critical issue. Table 4.1: Primary teacher student ratio

Type of Primary School

2003 2004 Teacher

student ratio Average student per Institution

Teacher student ratio

Average student per Institution

1. GPS 1:66 283 1:64 275 2. RNGPS 1:54 212 1:53 206 3. NRNGPS 1:32 123 1:45 175 4. Community 1:35 136 5. Other primary level institution

1:31 123 - -

All types primary school 1:52 212 1:60 270 Source: DPE monitoring Report PE statistics- as 30 June 2004 A survey of selected upazila (sub-districts) shows that the average number of teachers in government primary school is 4.5 while the number for non-government schools is only 3.8 for five grades (Grades One through Five), with more than one section in some grades. To cope with understaffing, most government schools run in two shifts, with Grades One and Two in the first shift (9:00 am to 11:30 am) and Grades Three to Five in the second shift (12:00 noon to 4:00 pm). Understaffing seriously lowers teacher morale and motivation. Table 4.2: Qualification profile of teachers12

EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATION PERCENTAGE Secondary School Certificate 49.6 Higher Secondary Certificate 35.7 College Degree 13.4 C-in-Ed or B. Ed. training 90.5 Others 02.3

A base-line survey of selected rural schools demonstrates the extent of teacher shortages in specific subject areas. For science, mathematics and English, the STRs at the survey schools ranged from 1:100 and 1:150.13 The situation with respect to

12 World Bank Bangladesh Education Sector Review, Dhaka (2000) 13 Baseline Survey of Secondary School in Three Selected Districts. Dhaka, IED, BRAC University,

Haq, M Nazmul (2004).

15

trained teachers is much worse: only three quarters of primary school teachers and half of secondary teachers are trained. Finally, the STR is also much higher in lower grades. 4.3 TEACHER ATTENDANCE As in other countries, it is asserted that low teacher morale and motivation in Bangladesh is reflected in high rates of absenteeism and poor timekeeping (see table 4.3). Teacher absenteeism is noticeably higher in primary schools, which may be due to lower pay, more difficult working conditions and remoter, less attractive locations. Due to poor pay and heavy teaching loads, many teachers participate in secondary wage-earning activities, such as agricultural work in rural areas and private tuition in urban areas. Teachers are also active participants in politics, which can affect the amount of time they spend in the classroom. However, the situation has been improving in recent years. Better-trained managers are paying more attention to addressing punctuality and attendance issues. Table 4.3: Teacher absenteeism rates, March 200514

CATEGORY PRIMARY SECONDARY Male 15.3 17.1 Female 15.3 21 Head teacher 20.2 17.8 Assistant head teacher N/A 11.3 Assistant teacher 14.9 15.2 Rural area 15.7 19 Municipality area 12.7 13.5 Metropolitan area 17.5 10.8 Although absenteeism rates are high, it is important to emphasise that most teachers have legitimate reasons for being absent (see Table 4.4). The majority of secondary schools are non-government hence teachers are not called on to the same extent to undertake extra-educational duties outside of the school. Headmasters, however, often attend off-school meetings or are occupied with administrative work. Primary school teachers, on the other hand, are frequently summoned to undertake a variety of administrative tasks such as population censuses, national elections, and health and sanitation programmes. Teachers also are involved in child census in school catchments, the distribution of stipends for poor children, maintaining progress reports, the collection and distribution of government textbooks and the maintenance of many records. Collectively, these activities consume a significant amount of time away from the classroom. Head teachers are also involved in administrative activities such as attending monthly coordination meetings, reviewing/approving salary bills, conducting School Management Committee meetings, organising Parent-Teacher Association meetings, and attending to officials and other visitors.

14 Survey Reports – March 2005

16

Table 4.4: Reasons for teacher absences HEAD TEACHERS PRIMARY SECONDARY Official teaching-related duty 68.6 75.0 Other official duty 0 0 Sickness 0 6.3 Authorised leave 22.9 6.2 Left early 2.8 6.2 Arrive later 2.8 0 Off due to Exam 0 0 Non-authorised absence 2.9 6.3 Teachers Official teaching related duty 41.2 43.8 Other official duty 5.9 0 Sickness 12.8 3.1 Authorised leave 35.3 31.3 Left early 1.0 0 Arrive later 1.0 0 Non-teaching duties are sometimes mandatory due to Education Office directives. Teachers interviewed expressed dissatisfaction regarding these duties. Generally male teachers are more burdened by these duties since some of these tasks are not considered suitable for female teachers. These non-teaching duties performed by teachers play an important role in their communities. The impact, however, of teacher absence has been found to depress learning outcomes. Teacher absenteeism both creates and results from lessened commitment to classroom teaching and general preparedness for classes (as demonstrated, for example, by the lack of proper lesson planning). Data on teacher absenteeism, however, remains very scarce and the education department does not keep any records or have a mandate for necessary actions. 4.4 TEACHER BEHAVIOUR Corruption and other malpractice Corruption and other unethical practices among teachers in Bangladesh are alleged to be widespread. Although no detailed and comprehensive statistics are available, probably around one half of all teachers are involved in some form of malpractice. Various authors, journalists, and reports from government officials mention irregular or unethical practices among teachers. Box 1 summarises findings of a 2000 survey by Transparency International Bangladesh15. Corruption is found in all types of education institutions. The most common practice is insisting students attend private coaching instead of teaching them in class. Other corruption is related to giving good marks to known or identified students or disclosing exam questions in exchange for money. Many public examination questions are revealed prior to examinations. Another form of corruption is the sale of school copies of textbooks and other learning materials in the market. Serious types of 15 Transparency International Bangladesh (2000) as quoted in Education Watch 2003/4. p. 118-9.

17

corruption involve financial fraud. For example, some teachers in remote rural areas do not attend school regularly, and instead pay local unauthorised persons/teachers to work in their place during their absence. Head teachers in registered private schools and madrasahs have also conspired with their SMCs to collect salaries for fictitious teachers. In another example, head teachers have collaborated with relevant officials to collect stipends allocated by government for poor children in primary schools and all girls of rural secondary schools for fictitious children. Although local education offices are sometimes aware of these practices, they rarely respond unless they have received a written report. Box 4.1: Management performance and corruption in primary schools A report card on primary education governance of eight upazilas of greater Mymensingh was issued by Transparency International Bangladesh based on its survey conducted in the last quarter of 2000. Information was collected through focus group and larger meetings and interviews with 2,103 teachers, parents, students and officials concerned with 171 primary schools. The survey covered 105 government, 40 non-government, 14 satellite and 12 community primary schools. The purpose of the survey was to identify the gaps and flaws in primary education management and to locate and investigate corruption in the system. The survey unearthed major irregularities in the system. It revealed that various actors in primary education – government employees, the school management committee and teachers – had a role in incidences of corruption. It also showed that lack of accountability was the principal cause of corruption. Lack of transparency, low salary of employees, improper use of discretionary power, monopoly of power, the presence of powerful interest groups, and bureaucratic procedures contributed to corruption and mismanagement. The principal findings of the survey are as follows: • Students are required to make unauthorised payments for admission into schools, obtaining

textbooks, promotion to higher classes, sitting in examinations and organising school sporting events. Students also have to make contributions for the entertainment of officers from the UEO office, for holding of religious events, and for various other purposes.

• A total of over Tk.19,800,000 was collected in a year in the 171 primary schools as payments under all these heads. Of this, Tk.18,200,000 was raised as examination fees and the rest for other purposes. There are no specific guidelines or accounting system for this money.

• There are serious irregularities in the Food for Education Programmes. Beneficiaries are selected on the payment of bribes and by intervention of influential persons. In the actual distribution of food-grain, on average, a student received 2.47 kilograms less than the allotted amount. The annual shortfall of 30 kilograms per student added up to 1,241 tons of missing food grain in a year in the eight upazilas. The cash value of the missing food-grain – at Tk. 10 per kg- amounted to 12,420,000.

• The Primary Education Offices in the upazilas were fraught with problems. There were instances of bribery, delays in service delivery and hostility towards teachers during school inspection.

4.5 LEARNING OUTCOMES Recent research by the Campaign for Popular Education (CAMPE) highlights the very low levels of learning achievement in primary schools in Bangladesh (see table 4.5). One child in five still does not enrol in school. Enrolment and completion, rates and competency levels are considerably lower among poor children.

18

Table 4.5: Primary school enrolment, learning achievement and literacy, (2005) (rounded percentages). Item Net

enrolment rate

Attendance rate

Completion rate

Grade 5 competency*

Literacy rate

Sex Boys Girls

80 80

60 63

76 74

17 15

48 36

Location Rural Urban

80 82

57 66

74 79

15 19

37 64

Family food status Always deficit Occasional deficit Break-even Surplus

65 78 82 89

na na na na

na na na na

15 16 16 18

na na na na

Primary school type Government Non-government Non-formal Ebted. Madrasa

61 18 7 7

59 56 46 88

76 73 63 83

16 15 17 na

52 42 75. 51

Notes: This is out of 27 Grade 5 competence levels that pupils are expected to reach at this level of their education. Source: Bangladesh Education Watch Report (2005) Although teachers are paid so much less, students at non-formal primary school students perform much better than students at formal schools. This includes non-formal schools where children of poor families are enrolled. Non-formal educational provision is, however, still quite limited, accounting for just seven percent of primary school enrolments. Completion rates at madrasas and non-formal schools are a lot lower than in formal schools. Student attendance rates are very poor at formal primary schools; on average, around 40 percent of children are absent every day.16 Attendance rates are higher at urban schools. Attendance is also much better at non-formal schools. With regard to learning outcomes, less than one-fifth of students in any type of school attain the required competency standard. At the end of Grade 5, one- third of children in formal primary schools are not functionally literate. Almost all students attending NGO managed non-formal schools, however, acquired basic literacy skills.17 Primary schooling in Bangladesh is still plagued by serious problems with regard to access and participation; over 40 percent of children do not complete the full five-year primary school cycle. Consequently, as many as two out of three Bangladeshi 16 Campaign for Popular Education Bangladesh Education Watch Report: Quality with Equity: The

primary education agenda, Dhaka (2001). 17 Campaign for Popular Education Bangladesh Education Watch Report: Quality with Equity: The

primary education agenda. Dhaka (2002).

19

children enter adulthood without basic literacy and numeracy skills. Data is quite limited, but learning outcomes also appear to be very poor in secondary schools. One study of rural secondary schools shows that only 41 percent of students pass the Secondary School Certificate Examination) and just three percent pass the Grade Eight Scholarship Examination.18 Gender balance There are almost 105,000 educational institutions (75 percent of which are primary schools) with nearly 7000,000 teachers and instructors. However, women account for only 36 percent of primary and 16 percent of secondary school teachers. Poor working conditions in schools and remote locations have discouraged women from becoming teachers. Moreover, women who do work in rural schools typically have to spend a lot more on transport costs than their male colleagues. In general teaching is a profession that is not as highly prioritized by male applicants, but for lack of alternative job opportunities, many settle for a career in teaching. On the other hand, for those women who chose the profession their main reasons for doing so include, being less hazardous, having more vacation, being seen as a respected position, etc. For many male teachers teaching is an alternative option or a second job. This is largely due to its poor salary structure. To eliminate gender disparity and ensure the full participation of women in development activities, the government has stated that 60 percent of new teaching positions will be reserved for women. Table 4.6: Distribution of teachers by type of school and gender19

TYPE OF PRIMARY SCHOOL MEAN TEACHER PER SCHOOL

PERCENTAGE OF FEMALE TEACHERS

Government school 4.5 41.1 Registered non govt. school 3.8 30.2 Community school 2.6 61.6 All type 4.2 38.6 In NGO and satellite schools, however, almost 100 percent teachers are female. Curriculum development is taking gender equity into account. A policy has been recently implemented to appoint more female officials at various primary education management levels. In addition, the residential capacity of the women’s hostels at Primary Training Institutes is being enlarged to encourage more women to join schools. Changes also include creating a friendlier school environment for girls. This includes admission opportunities and logistical improvements such as separate latrines. These changes also have a spill over effect into families through administrative changes. During student enrolment, mother’s names are now being registered as well as father’s names. Provisions have been made to open bank accounts in a student’s mother’s name for the payment of stipend money, a change that will have a positive impact on women’s empowerment. These steps have already

18 Baseline survey of secondary schools in three selected districts of Bangladesh. IED, BRAC

University and Post-primary Basic and Continuing Education (PACE), Haq, M. N. Dhaka (2004). 19 Upazila Education Office Data for 10 upazilas, 2004; Education Watch 2003/4.

20

contributed to an increase in female enrolment, and the ratio of boys and girls in schools is now almost half. This has been a remarkable achievement in the primary education sector, although gender discrimination and the educational deprivation of girls and women remains a significant issue that impacts several areas: in adult literacy there is still a 14 percent gap between sexes, according the Education Watch:20

• female physically or mentally challenged children in poor families are more neglected than boys;

• boys are often privileged over girls in class; • more men are enrolled in teacher training programmes than women; • high dropout rates of girls limits the prospect for them to become teachers; • participation of women in school managing committees is negligible.

20 Campaign for Popular Education Bangladesh Education Watch Report: Quality with Equity: The

primary education agenda, Dhaka (2002).

21

5. RECOMMENDATIONS Various steps should be taken to improve the current low levels of teacher job satisfaction and motivation. Stakeholder interviewees made the following recommendations to improve teacher motivation and job satisfaction: 1. Eliminate all forms of discrimination in education, including discrimination

between types of schools, discrimination of salary, curriculum-based discrimination, discrimination in budget allocation, and discrimination of teachers’ posts.

2. Provide the following pay-scale adjustments:

• Primary school teachers, salaried as 4th class employees on the national scale, should have their own separate and uniform pay scales, as in the case for the army.

• Primary schools teachers demand 2nd class pay scale for head teachers, as in PTI experimental primary schools.

3. Nationalise all NGSS, NJSS, RNGPS and community schools

4. Improve the recruitment process. Recruitment currently takes place once each

year, with an average of 20 percent of teaching positions vacant at any given time. Positions are always vacant, contributing to understaffing. Recruitment should occur as positions become available.

5. Make all teachers eligible for Tiffin allowance and increase it from Tk.100 to

Tk.500 per month 6. Make provision for contingency at the monthly rate of Tk.500 per teacher. 7. Increase school contingency per school on the basis of Tk.500 per teacher. 8. Stop punishment transfer for teachers. 9. Increase the number of departmental promotion opportunities for teachers. 10. Stop speed payments for non-government teachers appointed by SMC/schools. The government of Bangladesh and its civil society partners has achieved a great deal with respect to the education goals set forth in the 1990 Jomtein Declaration. The main thrust of educational development was initially on quantitative expansion of primary education, and later came to include improvements in quality of education. In the 2000 World Education Forum, the government of Bangladesh committed itself to achieve education for all citizens by the year 2015. All long-term projects for quantitative expansion and qualitative improvement of primary education were completed by June 2003. The country has prepared “Primary Education Development Programmes-II” on the basis of the Dakar Framework and proposed National Plan of Action (NPA). The

22

main objectives of the NPA are to increase primary school access, participation and completion with improved quality of student learning. Despite these initiatives, however, there is little scope to attract government attention to improving teachers’ professional work environment, living conditions and social standing. As noted earlier, without a motivated and fully committed teaching force, the best government plans to improve the quality of basic education are unlikely to yield the expected results. A motivated teaching force is vital to the provision of quality education. Issues such as, teachers’ salary, opportunities for promotion, incentives for continuous development, and reduction of physical and mental stress are not reflected in the NPA as recommended policy actions. Education programmes treat teachers training, materials, supervision and monitoring but fail to provide incentives that value their dignity, freedom and wisdom. For example, neither schools nor teachers have any freedom in the choice of textbooks and their contents. Teachers have no autonomy in developing their own class schedule as they feel necessary. The curriculum and knowledge-level is prescribed for the whole year. Ideal lesson plans, examination questions and day-to-day exercises all are pre-set by the curriculum. As a result teachers feel as if they are simply robots, a disinterested mechanical labour force for educating children in the school ‘machine’. Engaged and enthusiastic teachers are vital to educational success: unless these issues are addressed it will not be possible to meet the goals for the education sector. In conclusion, this situation analysis clearly shows that much government attention needs to go into raising the professional and social standing of primary school teachers in Bangladesh to release their potential to improve the quality of schooling.

23

APPENDIX 1: People Interviewed/Discussed Professor Abdus Sobhan Rtd. Director General of Primary

Education (DG, DPE)

Dr. Ayesha Khatun Director General of Secondary & Higher Education (DG, DSHE)

Mr. Nurul Islam Project Officer, Child Development and Education Section, UNICEF-Bangladesh

Mr. Shamim Ahmed Project Officer, Child Development and Education Section, UNICEF-Bangladesh

Mr. Ohidur Rashid Asst. Project Officer, Child Development and Education Section, UNICEF-Bangladesh

Ms Roohi Zakia Dewan Director, Planning NAEM, Bangladesh

Mr. Ratan Kumar Roy Director, M & E Division, DPE

Dr. Sirajuddin Ahmed Director Training, DSHE

Ms. Monira Hasan Project Officer, Quality Education Team, UNICEF

Prof. Alauddin Ahmad Chairman, Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Comilla

Ms. Ummey Zohra Hasan Director Planning, DSHE

Ms. Shamima Tasmin Education Advisor, Concern Bangladesh, Kalabagan, Dhaka

Mr. Sultan Miah District Primary Education Officer, Kishoreganj District

Mr. Mojib Alam Upazila Education Officer, Monohordi Upazila, Narsingdi District

Mr.Mofazzal Hossain System Manager, BANBEIS

Mr.Giasuddin Ahmed Upazila Education Officer, Polash & Secretary, UEO, Somaty

Mr. M Nurul Amin Upazila Project Officer, Secondary Education, Pakundia Upazila, Kishoreganj

24

Mr. Dabir Uddin District Education Officer, Gazipur District

Mr. M A Awwal Siddiquie President, Bangladesh Teacher Association, Secondary Education

Mr. Ali Reza Assistant Director, PTI Section, DPE

Mr. Sirajul Islam Head teacher, Dhaira GPS, Dhamrai and General Secretary of Teachers Association, Dhaka

Fazle Hossain Yahea Assistant Director, Planning Division DPE

Ms Shabnam Mostari Instructor, Upazila Resource Centre, Mirpur, Dhaka

Mr.Abdul Awwal Talukdar President, Bangladesh Teacher Association, Primary Education

Mr. M A Salam Secretary General , Bangladesh Teacher Association, Primary Education

25

APPENDIX 2: National Pay Scales and Teachers Salaries

Table A2.1: National Pay Scales 1985 – 2005 Scale 1985 Scale 1991 Scale 1997 Scale

Effective 1st July, 1997

2005 Scale Effective 1st

January, 2005 1. TK. 6,000 (Fixed)

TK. 10,000 (Fixed) TK. 15,000 (Fixed) TK. 23,000 (Fixed)

2. Tk. 5,700(Fixed)

Tk. 8,600-225X4(YI) -9,500

Tk. 12,900-350X4(YI) -14,300

Tk. 19,300-700X4 (YI) -22,100

3. Tk. 4,750-150X6(YI) -5,500

Tk. 7,800-200X6(YI) -9,000

Tk. 11,700-300X6(YI) -13,500

Tk. 16,800-650X 6 (YI) -20,700

4. Tk. 4,200-150X8(YI) -5,250

Tk. 7,100-200X8(YI) -8,700

Tk. 10,700-300X8(YI) -13,100

Tk. 15,000-600X8 (YI) -19,800

5. Tk. 3,700-125 X 9(YI) -4,825

Tk. 6,300-175X10(YI) -8,050

Tk. 9,500-260X10(YI) -12,100

Tk. 13,750-550X10 (YI) -19,250

6. Tk. 2,800-125X13(YI) -4,425

Tk. 4,800-175X14(YI) -7,250

Tk. 7,200-260X14(YI) -10,840

Tk. 11,000-475X14 (YI) -17,650

7. Tk. 2,400-120X10(YI) -3,600

Tk. 4,100-150X16(YI) -6,500

Tk. 6,150-225X16(YI) -9,750

Tk. 9,000-405X16 (YI) -15,480

8. Tk. 1,850-110X7(YI) -2,620-120X5-3,220

Tk. 3,200-140X16(YI) -5,440

Tk. 4,800-210X16(YI) -8,160

Tk. 7,400-365 X16 (YI) -13,240

9. Tk. 1,650-100X6(YI) -2,250-EB-110X7-3,020

Tk. 2,850-125X7(YI) -3,725-EB-130X11-5,155

Tk. 4,300-185X7(YI) -5,595-EB-195X11-7,740

Tk. 6,800-325X7(YI) -9,075-EB-365X11-1,390

10. Tk. 1,350-90X10(YI) -2,250-EB-100X5-2,750

Tk. 2,300-115X7(YI) -3,105-EB-125X11-4,480

Tk. 3,400-170X7(YI) -4,590-EB-185X11-6,625

Tk. 5,100-280X7(YI) -7,060-EB-300X11-1,0360

11. Tk. 1,000-70X8(YI) -1,560-EB-90X8-2,280

Tk. 1,725-105X7(YI) -2,460-EB-115X11-3,725

Tk. 2,550-155X7(YI) -3,635-EB-170X11-5,505

Tk. 4,100-250X7(YI) -5,850-EB-270X11-8,820

12. Tk. 900-65X10(YI) -1,550 -EB-75X7-2,075

Tk. 1,550-100X7(YI) -2,250-EB-105X11-3,405

Tk. 2,375-150X7(YI) -3,425-EB-155X11-5,130

Tk. 3,700-230X7(YI) -5,310-EB-250X11-8,060

13. Tk. 850-55X10(YI) -1,400-EB-60X5-1,700

Tk. 1,475-90X7(YI) -2,105-EB-95X11-3,150

Tk. 2,250-135X7(YI) -3,195-EB-140X11-4,735

Tk. 3,500-210X7(YI) -4,970-EB-230X11-7,500

14. Tk. 800-50X10(YI) -1,300-EB-55X6-1,630

Tk. 1,375-80X7(YI) -1,935-EB-85X11-2,870

Tk. 2,100-120X7(YI) -2,940-EB-125X11-4,315

Tk. 3,300-190X7(YI) -4,630-EB-210X11-6,940

15. Tk. 750-45X10-1,200-EB-50X7-1,550

Tk. 1,300-70X7-1,790-EB-75X11-2,615

Tk. 1,975-105X7-2,710-EB-110X11-3,920

Tk. 3,100-170X7-4,290-EB-190X11-6,380

26

16. Tk. 700-40X10(YI) -1,100-EB-45X7-1,415

Tk. 1,200-60X7(YI) -1,620-EB-65X11-2,335

Tk. 1,875-90X7(YI) -2,505-EB-100X11-3,605

Tk. 3,000-150X7(YI) -4,050-EB-170X11-5,920

17. Tk. 650-35X10(YI) -1,000-EB-40X4-1,160

Tk. 1,125-55X7(YI) -1,510-EB-60X11-2,170

Tk. 1,750-80X7(YI) -2,310-EB-90X11-3,300

Tk. 2,850-130X7(YI) -3,760-EB-150X11-5,410

18. Tk. 600-30X10(YI) -900-EB-35X6-1,110

Tk. 1,050-45X7(YI) -1,365-EB-50X11-1,915

Tk. 1,625-65X7(YI) -2,080-EB-75X11-2,905

Tk. 2,600-120X7(YI) -3,440-EB-130X11-4,870

19. Tk. 550-25X7-725-EB-30X8-965

Tk. 975-40X7-1,255-EB-45X11-1,750

Tk. 1,560-60X7-1,980-EB-65X11-2,695

Tk. 2,500-110X7-3,270-EB-120X11-4,590

20. Tk. 500-20X18(YI) -860

Tk. 900-35X18(YI) -1,530

Tk. 1,500-50X18(YI) -2,400

Tk. 2,400-100X7(YI) -3,100-EB-110X11-4,310

Bangladesh Gazette, collected from Ministry of Finance EB = Efficiency Bar (After successful completion of 7 years of service then H/S is eligible for EB and

any one cross the EB then H/S will get Tk. 5-10 more as a yearly increment. TK = Taka, Bangladeshi Currency YI = Yearly Increment GOB = Government of Bangladesh

27

Table A2.2: Teachers Salary Scale: This table indicates the salary scale for all types of teachers as well as the Secretary of State and Nurses. SL# Designation National Pay Scale

Number Remarks

1. Secretary of the State Scale No. 2 2. Nurse Scale No. 7 3. HT of GSS Scale No. 6 4. AHT of GSS Scale No. 9 5. AT of GSS Trained Scale No. 10 6. AT of GSS non-trained Scale No. 10 7. AHT of NGSS Scale No. 10 Received 90percent of Basic

only 8. HT of NGSS Trained Scale No. 7 Received 90percent of Basic

only 9. HT of NGSS Non-Trained Scale No. 9 Received 90percent of Basic

only 10. AHT of NGSS Trained Scale No. 9 Received 90percent of Basic

only 11. AHT of NGSS Non-Trained Scale No. 10 Received 90percent of Basic

only 12. AT of NGSS Trained Scale No. 10 Received 90percent of Basic

only 13. AT of NGSS Non-Trained Scale No. 10 Received 90percent of Basic

only 14. HT of GPS trained Scale No. 15 15. HT of GPS un-trained Scale No. 17 16. AT of GPS trained Scale No. 16 17. AT of GPS un-trained Scale No. 18 18. 1st Class Gazetted Post Start from Scale No.9 1st Class Officer 19. 2nd Class Gazetted Post Start from Scale

No.10 2nd class officer

20. 3rd Class Post Start from Scale No.15

21. 4th Class Post Start from Scale No.17, 18

28

APPENDIX 3: Teachers’ Allowances Both the Secondary and Primary level (Government) teachers are eligible for the following allowances: a. Rest and Recreation Allowances: After successful completion of three years eligible for rest and recreation allowance with equivalent of one month basic salary (effective 1st July 1979). b. Festival Allowances: Eligible for festival allowance with equivalent of two months basic salary each year (effective 1st July 1985). c. Hill Allowances: Teachers working in one of three Hill tract districts (Rangamati, Bandarban and Khagrachari) are eligible for an extra 30percent of basic salary not to exceed Taka 200 (effective 1st July 1997). d. Medical Allowances: The following table shows fixed medical allowances for all government teachers. Non government teachers receive allowances as of 2000: Table A3.1: Teacher allowances TYPE OF TEACHER 1990 1995 2000 2004 1. GSS TK. 100/month TK. 300/month TK. 400/month TK.

400/month

2. NGSS/JNGSS N/A N/A TK. 150/month TK. 150/month

3. GPS TK. 100/ month

TK. 300/ month

TK. 400/ month

TK. 400/ month

4. RNGPS N/A N/A TK. 150/ month

TK. 150/ month

5. Community N/A N/A N/A N/A e. Tiffin Allowances: Only GSS and GPS teachers receive Tiffin allowances at the rate of 100 taka per month as outlined below (effective 1st July 1997): Table A3.2: Tiffin allowances for teachers

1990 1995 2000 2004 1. GSS TK. 0/ month TK. 0/ month TK. 100/ month TK. 100/ month

2. GPS TK. 0/ month TK. 0/ month TK. 100/ month TK. 100/ month

f. Traveling Allowance (TA): GSS/GPS teachers are eligible for TAs. The government, however, has not yet made budget allocations for TAs for GPS teachers.

29

Table A3.3: House rent allowance calculation (Applicable only to Government Teachers / Employees)

BASIC SALARY

RATE OF HOUSE RENT

REMARKS

Metropoliton/Poura (Municipal) area of Dhaka, Narayanganj, Chittagong, Khulna, Rajshahi,

Other Places

TK. 1,800 55percent of Basic salary but, minimum TK. 850

50percent of Basic salary but, minimum TK. 800

Effective from 1st July 1999

TK.1,800-3,800 50percent of Basic salary but minimum Tk. 990

45percent of Basic salary but minimum Tk. 900


TK. 3,801-9,000 45percent of Basic salary but minimum Tk. 1,900

40percent of Basic salary but minimum Tk. 1,710


Above TK. 9,000 40percent of Basic salary but minimum TK. 4,050

35percent of Basic salary but minimum TK. 3600


Note: Calculations of house rents allowances depend on the employee’s basic salary and working station (high coast), as outlined in the following table:

30

Table A3.4: Types of institutions by number of teachers and students. Types of institution No. of

institute No. of teachers No. of students

Total Female Total Female Govt. Intermediate College Non-govt. Intermediate College Govt. Degree College Non-govt. Degree College Total (college education)

11 1,474 240 786

2,511

191 27,463 9,305 27,761 64,720

72 5,483 2,136 4,871

12,562

3,326 327,360 418,310 785,837

1,534,833

2,241 165,293 160,476 270,095 598,105

Non-govt. Dakhil Madrasah Non-govt. Alim Madrasah Non-govt. Fazil Madrasah Vovt. Kamil Madrasah Non-govt. Kamil Madrasah Total (madrasah education)*

5,391 1,087 1,029

3 141

7,651

67,026 18,117 21,136

80 3,554

109,993

3,677 593 562 - - 62

4,894

2,056,700 521,957 595,588

3,213 87,096

3,299,107

1,016,696 209,303 191,776

14 11,203

1,435,608 Public University Private University Total (university education)

17 22

39

4,893 1,644

6,537

779 227

1,006

80,111

35,968

116,079

19,214

9,453

28,677 Cadet College 10 382 50 2,854 205

Total (General Education) 104,503 685,603 164,078 (23.9%)

30,499,103

14,928,177

(48.9%) * This is the religious stream of education. • Source: Bangladesh Bureau of Educational Statistics (BANBEIS)

31

The following tables show changes to teacher remuneration for primary (Table A3.5) and secondary (Table A3.6) school teachers over the past 15 years.21 Table A3.5: Primary Teacher Salaries since 1990: Teacher

Designation 1990

(Taka) 1995

(Taka) 2000

(Taka) 2005

(Taka) 1. GPS HT (Trained) Scale No.-

15 Basic-750 Medical-100

Scale No.-15 Basic-1300 Medical-100

Scale No.-15 Basic-1975 Tiffin -100 Medical-300


HT (Un-trained) Scale No.-17 Basic-650 Medical-100




AT (Trained) Scale No.-16 Basic-700 Medical-100




AT (Un-trained) Scale No.-18 Basic-600 Medical-100




2. RNGPS In charge HT 500 500 Scale No.-16 80percent of Basic, HT in-charge allowance 50 H.Rent-100 Medical-150

Scale No.-16 90percent of Basic, HT in-charge allowance 50 H.Rent-100 Medical-150

AT (Trained) 500 500 Scale No.-16 80percent of Basic H.Rent-100 Medical-150

Scale No.-16 90percent of Basic H.Rent-100 Medical-150

AT (Non-trained) 500 500 Scale No.-18 80percent of Basic H.Rent-100 Medical-150

Scale No.-18 90percent of Basic H.Rent-100 Medical-150

3. Community

Any Teachers 500 500 500 750

Source: DPE

21 DPE

32

Table A3.6: Secondary Teacher Salaries Since 1990: Teacher

Designation 1990

(Taka) 1995

(Taka) 2000

(Taka) 2005

(Taka) 1. GSS HT Scale No.-6

Basic-2,800 House rent (50percent of basic) Medical 100

Scale No.-6 Basic-4,800 Medical 300 House rent (45percent of basic) Medical 100

Scale No.-6 Basic-7,200 Medical 400 House rent (45percent of basic) Medical 100 Tiffin-100

Scale No.-6 Basic-11,000 Medical 400 House rent (40percent of basic) Tiffin-100

AHT Scale No.-9 Basic-1,650 House rent (55percent of basic) Medical 100

Scale No.-9 Basic-2,850 Medical 300 House rent (50percent of basic)



AT (Trained) Scale No.-10 Basic-1,350 House rent (55percent of basic ) Medical 100



Scale No.-10 Basic-5,100 but get only one ‘time scale’ Medical 400 House rent (45percent of basic) Tiffin-100

AT (Un-trained) Scale No.-10 Basic-1,350 House rent (55percent of basic) Medical 100




2. NGSS HT (Trained) Scale No.-7 60percent of Basic-2400

Scale No.-7 80percent of Basic-4100

Scale No.-7 80percent of Basic-6150 H.Rent-100 Medical-150


HT (Un-trained) Scale No.-9 60percent of Basic-1650




AHT (Trained) Scale No.-9 60percent of Basic-1650




AHT (Un-trained) Scale No.-10 60percent of Basic-1350




AT (Trained) Scale No.-10 60percent of Basic-1350




AT (Un-Trained) Scale No.-11 60percent of Basic-1000




33

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34

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