A week into the temporary teachers’ indefinite hunger strike, the Ministry of Education on Friday sealed a four-point deal with the agitating teachers, offering them a golden handshake even if they fail the permanency test by the Teacher Service Commission.

As a protest against the government’s decision to ask the teachers to take a test for permanent posting or to seek a golden handshake, five temporary teachers on June 16 started the hunger strike in Bhadrakali, Kathmandu.

In the agreement reached between the ministry officials and the agitating teachers in the presence of Education Minister Gopalman Shrestha, the government agreed to offer the teachers retirement benefits even if they fail the TSC test. The provision will apply to the temporary teachers recruited before August 5, 2004.

Kishun Yadav, Jit Bahadur Gurung, Kalawati Joshi, Sulekha Devi Kayastha and Kalu KC, who staged the fast, have withdrawn the protest. “We hope to see the agreements implemented,” said Jyoti Narayan Dhakal, vice-chairman of the Temporary Teachers’ Struggle Committee.

In a move towards resolving the long-festering issue of temporary teachers, the TSC on April 1 opened vacancies under the reservation quota for the teachers willing to compete internally instead to opting for golden handshake.

The eighth amendment to the Education Act-1972 gives the teachers two options—taking part in an internal competition or choosing a retirement package. However, the temporary teachers had been demanding state facilities even if they fail the test.

According to records at the Education Ministry, around 28,000 temporary teachers are serving in 16 different categories, some of them having worked for more than two decades.