Kathmandu, June 6

The Education (eighth amendment) Bill has failed to address the woes of temporary teachers.

They said that the bill has not done justice to temporary teachers who have been working for more than three decades.

Nirendra Kunwar, president, Temporary Teachers Struggle Central Committee today said that the bill has further victimised those teachers who were already victims of the sluggish government bureaucratic system.

“The Education Act (Seventh Amendment) that was authenticated on December 26, 2007 has the provision of services and facilities for temporary teachers who fail in the written exam for permanent teacher, but they have been given only two options — either go for written test or the golden handshake,” he said, adding, “If anyone fails in written test, he/she will not be entitled to any facilities. He/she will be automatically removed from teaching without facilities.”

This is a strategy of the Education Ministry to displace senior teachers and deprive them of their facilities, he claimed.

“I am ashamed of the government’s intention to deprive temporary teachers of rights ensured by the previous act,” he added.

Many temporary teachers wanted to fight for permanent position through open competition in the past, but at that time, Teachers Service Commission failed to open vacancy for such teachers, therefore they launched a movement against the government demanding that they be given permanent status through internal competition.

The Education (eighth amendment) bill has either allowed temporary teachers to enter through internal competition or take the golden handshake on the basis of years of teaching experience. Twenty years will be the maximum years of work experience for temporary teachers that will be counted while providing the golden handshake.

As per the bill, teachers who have worked in schools on temporary basis from five to ten years will be entitled to half-month salary per year while  teachers who have ten to fifteen years work experience will be granted amount equal to one month salary per year.

Similarly, teachers, who have more than 15 years experience will be provided amount equal to one- and-a-half-month salary per year  as golden handshake.

The bill has also removed the age bar for the temporary teachers to fight for internal competition. Meanwhile the age bar for entry in open competition is 40 years and 60 years is the age for retirement.

“The provision in the bill might be fruitful for those temporary teachers who entered the teaching profession a decade ago,” he added.