Kavre, September 1:

At a time when voice for quality education is being raised, fifteen teachers, who have not passed school leaving certificate (SLC) examination, are taking teaching assignments in different community schools in the district.

Of the 19 under-SLC teachers in the district, four resigned two years ago while the remaining 15 are still teaching in different schools, district education office (DEO) said, adding they were permanently appointed. Interestingly, two of them are headmasters, one of which is retiring after four months.

Eight of the teachers had failed two subjects while six had failed in more than two subjects in SLC examination, Shanti Ram Poudel, a section officer at the DEO said. The teachers failing two subjects are enjoying a monthly salary of Rs 5,500 while the teachers failing more than two subjects are getting Rs 5,050 salary per month.

Poudel also said their grades were also being upgraded according to their service years, Poudel said.

“Some of them have offered to resign after news of under-SLC teachers in community schools spread,” an official at the DEO said. The DEO refused to disclose the identity of the teachers, saying that it would be an insult to them.

“Since the teachers have been permanently appointed, we cannot immediately sack them,” district education officer Sundar Kumar Shakya said. He further added that the DEO could give retirement orders to the teachers who are 55 years old by giving some compensation.

Then district education officer Diyakala Shrestha had sent retirement letters to the under-SLC teachers in 2006. “But the teachers refused to quit saying that the government cannot sack them,” a DEO source said. Teachers in the district have warned the DEO of agitation if the teachers were sacked.

Gyan Nath Pathak, chairman of Nepal Teachers’ Association, Kavre, said the government cannot sack teachers that were appointed permanently before the Education Regulations 2034 came into force.