Miscellaneous
Temporary teachers on hunger strike
Teachers demand an internal competition for permanent status and provide medical treatment facility to those failing to gain permanent statusTemporary teachers have been staging a relay hunger strike for the last four days at Maitighar, demanding further amendment to the Education Act.
The Education Act (Eight Amendment) 2073 has provisions for ‘Golden Handshake’ for temporary teachers or examination to give them a chance to gain permanent status.
The bill also has a provision whereby temporary teachers recruited before February 2011 can either compete for 40 percent reserved posts in total vacancies or choose a golden handshake deal which offers a severance package between Rs100,000 and Rs400,000 based on their service period.
However, temporary teachers, discontent with these provisions, have been demanding that an internal competition be held and those failing to gain permanent status be provided with medical treatment facility.
They have also demanded that those temporary teachers who have retired on age-limit should be provided with gratuity, medical treatment facility and a guarantee of appropriate facility as they retire from the job.
Expressing sadness over the apathy of bodies concerned towards the relay hunger strike, Chairman of Temporary Teachers’ Agitation Central Committee Nirendra Kunwar said they would continue the protest until the demands are addressed.
“A month ago we had handed a letter to the prime minister drawing his attention to our problems. After we did not get any reply, we handed him another letter a week ago informing him of a relay hunger strike if our demands are not met,” said Kunwar.
“We have not heard anything from the government so far.”
The agitating teachers also shut down community schools across the country on Thursday and Friday as part of their protest.
Meanwhile, the Nepal Teachers’ Federation on Saturday demanded a dialogue with the government to resolve the problems faced by the temporary teachers.
Federation Chairman Keshav Niraula and General Secretary Tilak Kunwar issued a statement calling on the Education Ministry to resolve temporary teachers’ problems through negotiations.
On Tuesday, the agitating teachers staged a sit-in in front of the PM’s official residence at Baluwatar, putting forth various demands.
Although the Ministry of Education had decided to end the temporary posting of teachers by 2014, terms of temporary teachers were extended to 2018 due to delay in the amendment of the Act.