Cancel decision to withhold promotion

Primary schoolteachers yesterday demanded cancellation of the decision of the Directorate of Primary Education (DPE) to withhold the promotion of teachers who do not have the Certificate-in-Education (C-in-Ed).
Terming the decision unfair, they said about 10,000 primary schoolteachers across the country are being deprived of the promotion to headmaster because of such a decision.
In September 2003, the directorate made it mandatory for primary teachers to have a C-in-Ed to be considered for promotion to headmaster of a primary school.
But the teachers having higher degrees such as B.Ed and M.Ed are being deprived of the promotion as they don't have C-in-Ed, said BM Asadullah, convenor of Prathamik Shikkhak Padannati Parishad, said at a press conference in the city.
He also mentioned that in the appointment guidelines of 1991, there are no such provisions that says teachers without C-in-Ed will not qualify for promotion.
Terming the decision self-contradictory, he also pointed out that many instructors of C-in-Ed course even do not have the degree.
The Parishad announced a series of protest programmes, including a sit-in and a token hunger strike in front of the Directorate of Primary Education office at Mirpur on May 24.
Bangladesh Primary School Teachers Association (BPSTA) expressed solidarity with the Parishad.
Parishad leaders Rawshan Akter Shefa and Nazmin Banu and President of BPSTA Md Wahiduzzaman Mia also spoke at the press conference.