KATHMANDU, DECEMBER 23

It has been seven days since hundreds of part-time teachers of the country’s largest varsity, Tribhuvan University, are stopping Vice-chancellor Dharma Kanta Baskota from entering his office — a desperate move on the part of agitating teachers to exert pressure on the university authorities to hold discussion with them on their demands.

TU, however, continues to refuse to address the decade-long problem in the university.

VC Baskota, who according to the agitating teachers had promised to fulfil their demands, has not shown any interest in doing so. Baskota has not gone to the university for the last seven days.

The country’s oldest university relies heavily on part-time teachers for teaching purposes, though they are provided less than one-third remuneration in comparison to permanent teachers of similar rank. There are more than 2,000 part-time teachers hired as assistant-professors on contract basis by the varsity.

These teachers often teach more classes than permanent teachers, but are paid less — Rs 306 per class, approximately Rs 10,000 per month. While, permanent teachers of the same rank, who are selected through open competition are paid above Rs 40,000 on an average per month.

People often take part-time jobs in TU as assistant professors to enhance their teaching ability as the university is required to announce vacancies every six months. However, TU has not announced a vacancy for the post of assistant professor for the last five years. This has encouraged TU to hire more and more part-time teachers at very less cost. This has not only increased the number of parttime teachers but lessened the chances of such teachers being selected as permanent teachers.

The, agitating teachers have now demanded permanency for at least 50 per cent of such teachers who have been working like permanent teachers. Also, they have reiterated the demand to call for vacancy of teachers every six months as required by the university rule.

Sashi Kumar Sharma, coordinator of the protest programme said, “Hundreds of teachers like us have spent decades and wasted our youth with the hope that the university will announce enough vacancies, thus enabling us to get permanent jobs. But, neither has it cared to do so nor accepted us as permanent teachers who carry the burden of the university.”

The government had, on August 17, drafted new directives increasing the allowance from Rs 300 to Rs 500 per class, which has not been implemented yet.

The part-time teachers, however, have been refusing the increased allowance saying the raise was so less that it only increased their humiliation.

The directive has also allowed retired teachers of the university to be reselected as part-time teachers. The TU-PTA has also demanded that this particular regulation be scrapped.

VC Baskota was not available for comments despite several attempts to contact him.