Address our demands in the new Education Act, say relief quota teachers

KATHMANDU: Temporary and relief quota teachers of community schools, as well as teachers who have been denied pension facilities, have demanded that the lawmakers address their concerns in the upcoming School Education Act.

Most of these teachers are above 40 years of age and, therefore, cannot participate in the fresh recruitment process.

Participating in a discussion on the School Education Bill in the meeting of the Education, Health, and Information Technology Committee of the House of Representatives on Thursday, they said that the state was treating them like second-class citizens. “The government should introduce a provision for proper management of all school teachers appointed on a temporary basis in the upcoming Act,” Kumar Bajgain, the general secretary of the Nepal Relief Quota Teachers Association, said. “The upcoming Act should cover all the points of the agreement that the association has reached with the government.”

Bajgain also criticized the government for creating temporary positions for teachers but dragging its feet in their proper management.

Similarly, Dambar Rai, deputy general secretary of the association, expressed dissatisfaction over the provision of internal examinations for permanent appointments for only 50% of relief quota teachers. “Such faulty provisions should be removed in the upcoming Act. There are instances of the government allowing even teachers with one year of experience the opportunity for permanent appointment in the past,” he added.

The eighth amendment to the Education Act allowed 75% of the temporary teachers to participate in the recruitment process through internal competition and 25% through open competition. Teachers, who failed the examination, were offered a golden handshake package. “Why has the provision of 50% internal competition been introduced now?” he questioned.

The government has signed an agreement to allow all relief quota teachers to participate in internal examinations for appointments on a permanent basis. The government, among others, also agreed to provide a rural area allowance for teachers deputed in schools in rural areas.