MPO Teachers and Employees May Get New Pay Scale Salaries in December

MPO-listed teachers and employees of private schools and colleges may receive their salaries under the new pay scale from December, as the Secondary and Higher Education Division of the Education Ministry has sought additional funds and received verbal consent for the allocation.

A source at the Education Ministry told The Daily Campus on Thursday (November 5) that Senior Secretary Abdul Khaleque held several discussions with Finance Secretary Khairuzzaman Majumder while he was in China. The efforts of the senior secretary have raised the prospect of implementing the new pay scale for teachers and employees from December.

According to the source, the finance secretary has verbally agreed to release the additional funds required to pay MPO-listed school and college teachers and employees under the new pay scale. Following the completion of formalities, a letter confirming the approval will be sent to the Secondary and Higher Education Division, reportedly within this month. This could pave the way for teachers and employees to receive their salaries under the new scale in December.

A senior Education Ministry official, speaking to The Daily Campus on condition of anonymity, said, “We are trying to ensure that teachers and employees receive their salaries under the new pay scale in December. If everything goes according to plan, they will receive their salaries under the new scale from December. However, if that is not possible for any reason, teachers will receive their salaries under the new pay scale from January.”

Meanwhile, the Secondary and Higher Education Division has written to the Finance Division seeking Tk 3,267.90 crore to pay MPO-listed teachers and employees of private schools and colleges under the ninth pay scale. The amount has been sought to cover 12 months of payments, including six months of arrears, according to information available.

Last Sunday, the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE) sent a statement detailing 12 months of salary and allowance requirements, including six months of arrears, to the Secondary and Higher Education Division. The division subsequently wrote to the Finance Division seeking the allocation.

According to the DSHE statement, the calculation covers seven months of arrears from June to December this year and salary and allowance payments for January to May next year. Salaries and allowances for June have already been paid from the allocation received for schools and colleges. Additional funds have been sought to cover the remaining shortfall.

The DSHE statement shows that private secondary schools will require Tk 2,255 crore 93 lakh 12 thousand 819 in salaries and Tk 275 crore 60 lakh 12 thousand 36 in allowances, bringing the total to Tk 2,531 crore 53 lakh 24 thousand 855, including six months of arrears and payments through May next year.

For colleges, the additional requirement is Tk 665 crore 23 lakh 27 thousand 511 in salaries and Tk 71 crore 12 lakh 38 thousand 890 in allowances, totalling Tk 736 crore 35 lakh 66 thousand 401.

Accordingly, private secondary schools will require an additional Tk 2,531 crore 53 lakh 24 thousand 855, while private colleges will need Tk 736 crore 35 lakh 66 thousand 401. The combined additional requirement has been estimated at Tk 3,267 crore 88 lakh 91 thousand 256.

What the Education Ministry’s Letter Says

Last Sunday, the Secondary and Higher Education Division sent a letter to the Finance Division seeking Tk 3,267.90 crore for the 2026-27 fiscal year to implement National Pay Scale 2026 for MPO-listed teachers and employees working at private educational institutions.

The letter, signed by Secondary and Higher Education Division Deputy Secretary Mohammad Monowar Hossain, said teachers and employees at private educational institutions make an invaluable contribution to the development of the education sector. It said the government was working to improve teachers’ service benefits, welfare and overall service delivery, while increasing the proportion of the budget allocated to education. These measures, it said, would improve teachers’ living standards and professionalism.

The letter stated, “Currently, all MPO-listed teachers and employees working at private educational institutions receive salaries and allowances under National Pay Scale 2015. To provide salaries and allowances under National Pay Scale 2026, an additional Tk 2,531.54 crore will be required for private secondary schools and Tk 736.36 crore for private colleges, totalling approximately Tk 3,267.90 crore. An additional allocation of approximately Tk 3,267.90 crore for the 2026-27 fiscal year is required in favour of the Secondary and Higher Education Division.”

It further stated, “It is requested, as directed, that an additional Tk 3,267.90 crore be allocated in favour of the Secondary and Higher Education Division in the current 2026-27 fiscal year to implement National Pay Scale 2026 for MPO-listed teachers and employees working at private educational institutions.”