National
Golden handshake set to start next session
In a bid to resolve the long festering issue of temporary teachers, the government has come up with two packages for them—fight in the internal competition or take “golden handshake”.Binod Ghimire
In a bid to resolve the long festering issue of temporary teachers, the government has come up with two packages for them—fight in the internal competition or take “golden handshake”.
The Ministry of Education has completed preparations for a survey to find out a choice of the temporary teachers between two packages, and is waiting for the minister’s consent so that the process could be started in the next academic session. But it is without a minister since the formation of the incumbent government due to a delay on part of the Nepal Congress in finalising names of ministers.
Ministry Spokesperson Hari Lamsal said, “We are just waiting for minister to join office to start the process.”
According to the package, the permanent vacancies for the temporary teachers will be called in three categories based on their service period, with the equal number of schemes on offer for the golden handshake. The teachers recruited before January 4, 1993 stand to benefit the most from the package. They need just 40 percent of the full marks in the examination if they wish to be considered for the permanent posting.
The government will call vacancies equal to the number of temporary teachers for those who joined before January 1993, according to Lamsal. “They don’t need to compete but just get the pass percentage,” he said. “If they don’t want to take the test they will be entitled to get the golden handshake worth 45 days’ salary for each year of service.”
The temporary teachers recruited between January 4, 1993 and August 5, 2004 will have to compete internally among their peers for the permanent posts. However, only 49 percent of the seats will be reserved for the temporary teachers recruited between August 5, 2004 and September 19, 2015.
Lamsal said the vacancies will be called in 28,000 positions within a year, including 51 percent on open category. The government estimate puts the number of temporary teachers at around 23,000. The goverment had decided to abolish the system of temporary teachers would be abolished after 2015, but its failure to initiate “the golden handshake” package lingered the process.
Those who do not wish to sit for test will be offered golden handshake in three categories: those with service period of 5-10 years, 10 to 15 years and above 15 years. Temporary teachers who fall under the first category will be entitled to an amount equal to 15 days’ salary for each service year, while those coming under the second and third categories will be paid one month’s salary and 45 days’ salary respectively for each year of service period.
All depts under MoE headless
KATHMANDU: It has been 20 days since Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal took his office, but he has not been able to find Minister for Education as coalition partner Nepali Congress is delaying in giving the name of the ministers. Similarly, the ministry is functioning without the secretary since Bishwo Prakash Pandit retired over a month ago. The problem barely ends here. The Department of Education, which oversees some 36,000 schools and around 7 million students, is also without the director general after Khag Raj Baral was elevated as secretary 15 days ago. “A number of policy issues have been stalled in the lack of officials. Hopefully, it is sorted out soon,” said Lamsal. (PR)