Kathmandu, December 31

Despite the directive of the Department of Education four months ago, the District Education Office, Kathmandu, has yet to manage teachers, who had been hired in the vacant posts at the junior level.

Due to lack of various subject teachers, public schools had assigned junior-level permanent teachers to teach at higher levels and teachers had been appointed to fill the vacant posts at the junior level. But the Teachers Service Commission recruited permanent teachers in higher grades and junior teachers assigned to teach at higher level were asked to resume their previous duties. As a result, teachers on lien were displaced.

Four months ago, the DoE had asked district education offices to manage the teacherson lien on seniority basis

by August 17 following a Cabinet decision on August 6. The other two districts in the Valley — Lalitpur and Bhaktapur —have already managed such teachers.

Bhaktapur was the first district to manage such teachers. It had 30 such teachers at the primary level and lower secondary level. Similarly, Lalitpur districts has also managed 28 such teachers.

It is learnt that teachers had been transferred from other districts to Kathmandu, which left a very few vacant positions for teachers on lien. As a result, the District Education Office has not been able to adjust them as directed by the government.

Jyoti Maharjan, president, Lien Teachers Struggle Committee, said despite the directive of the Ministry of Education, the DoE and the District Education Office, Kathmandu, are reluctant to manage teachers on lien.

Maharjan, a teacher at Ganabahal-based Nepal Adarsha Secondary School for the past 20 years, said, “We have been visiting the education minister, Director General of DoE to resolve the problem, but to no avail.”

Renu Shahi, a lien teacher at Bhagawatibari-based Shanti Nikunja Secondary School for past 22 years, said, “I had started teaching in the school after completion of my SLC from the same school, but after 22 years it seems I will be displaced due to negligence of the DEO,” she said. Maharjan warned of stern protests if the DEO failed to reinstate them in their respective positions.

Meanwhile, Dehendra Dahal, assistant district education officer, said they had already prepared working procedure for reinstatement of teachers on lien and that a decision would be taken in this regard very soon.

However, he said it was unlikely that all teachers working on lien would be reinstated. “They will be managed on seniority basis, thus those appointed after April 23, 2006 will have less chances of reinstatement.”