It is generally admitted that the teachers' demands should be met as a matter of principle. All the more so, because the ruling BNP is pledge bound to address the issue. But the government has so far done nothing except pointing out the resource constraints that stand in the way of fulfilling the demands. A negotiated settlement of the impasse is also unlikely to take place very soon, as the decision makers in the education sector did not respond to the invitation extended to them by the Shikkhak Karmachari Oikkyo Jote (SKOJ) to attend a discussion meeting.

The picture emerging from the teachers' attempt to go for a tougher movement and the government's failure to handle the matter with a sense of urgency is a bleak one. The students are losing valuable time and their academic future might become uncertain if the strike continues indefinitely. So the stakes are high, though no attempt has so far been made to end the stalemate. The teachers have also sent a message to the UN Commission on Human Rights, in an apparently desperate bid to draw its attention to their plight. This can only give a poor account of governance in our country.

It is disquieting news that the teachers, who should have been in classrooms, are planning to block roads and waterways in the districts on August 1 as part of their movement. While their purpose is to put further pressure on the government, one can hardly overlook the law and order aspect of the issue. We watched with great consternation the police action on the striking teachers and are dismayed by the thought of another showdown between them and the law enforcers.

The government should immediately talk with the striking teachers and make sincere efforts to put an end to the crisis. The education sector is too important an area to be dragged into any kind of controversy, or made non-functional on any excuse whatsoever. Since the teachers are agitating for attainment of some very reasonable goals, it is the government's duty to respond sympathetically without wasting any more time.