Golden handshake for temporary teachers

KATHMANDU, July 13

Temporary teachers who have long been demanding permanent status and facilities on par with permanent teachers are likely to get golden handshake offer from the government through the fiscal budget, which will be presented tomorrow.

Officials at the Ministry of Education officials said that the government also had long been working to provide a golden handshake package to temporary teachers.

“We had proposed ‘golden handshake to temporary as well as permanent teachers who want to leave the profession after certain time through the Education Act, but since the ministry failed to initiate the process to amend the Education Act, the provision could not be incorporated in the past,” said MoE Spokesperson Hari Lamsal. “Discussions at political level regarding the golden handshake package for temporary teachers were held recently. The government is likely to announce this through the fiscal budget tomorrow,” he said.

Temporary teachers have long been demanding permanent status through internal competition and pays and perks on par with permanent teachers as per the Education Act that was last amended in December 2007.

Recently, the Verdict Implementation Directorate of the Supreme Court had asked the Ministry of Education and Teachers’ Service Commission to furnish details regarding the progress in the implementation of an SC verdict, in which the apex court had asked authorities to provide facilities to temporary teachers as per the Education Act.

According to officials at the Ministry of Finance, the government was going to provide Rs 1.5 billion this year and an equal amount next year for the golden handshake package to temporary teachers. With the amount allocated this year, around 8,000 temporary teachers will benefit from the package. There are around 17,209 temporary teachers working in various public schools.

Nirendra Kunwar, president, Temporary Teachers Agitation Central Committee, said that some teachers have been waiting for the provision.

“Some temporary teachers want to move to other profession, so they will welcome the golden handshake provision,” he added.