For temporary teachers opting for golden handshake, the severence package will be based on the number of years they have spent teaching Bhaktapur, September 27 The Department of Education is collecting the details of temporary teachers. As per the eighth amendment to the Education Act, temporary teachers can participate in an internal competition for permanent status, while those who do not wish to compete can opt for the golden handshake. For those opting for golden handshake, the severance package will be based on the number of years of teaching as a temporary teacher. Issuing a circular recently, the DoE has asked all five regional education directorates to furnish the details of temporary teachers, along with their choice. Spokesperson of the Ministry of Education Dr Hari Lamsal today said a more comprehensive record of temporary teachers of government schools would help them plan the budget for the severance packages to be offered to teachers retiring voluntarily. Dr Lamsal said, “We need the details of the temporary teachers opting for the golden handshake in order to have an estimate of the amount needed from the Ministry of Finance for their severance packages. It is crucial for the data of temporary teachers to be accurate.” Under the golden handshake scheme, those who have been teaching in government schools on a temporary basis for five to ten years will be granted money equivalent to a half-month’s salary per year, while teachers who have been teaching for ten to fifteen years will be entitled to one month’s salary per year. Likewise, temporary teachers with more than 15 years of work experience will be provided with one-and-a-half month’s salary per year. As per the circular, the DoE has developed a macro-form with spaces to enter various details. It has asked the REDs to furnish the details through the DEOs and schools where the temporary teachers are working and submit them to the DoE by mid-October. All DEOs should submit forms to the respective REDs by the end of September, and the REDs have been asked to submit the macro details by mid-October. The DoE has further directed the REDs and the DEOs to give the details of teachers’ posts that have fallen vacant since September 19, 2015.