Similarly, it has already been more than six months since Charambi-based Arunodaya Higher Secondary School (HSS) first posted vacancy for teachers. Vacancy posters for science teacher can be seen at most public places of the village. They even announced the vacancy through radio and television. The school, too, did not receive any application.
In both the cases, students were forced to appear in SLC examinations without the guidance of their subject teachers.
More than two dozen schools in the district face similar plight.
Most of the schools do not have subject teachers either for Science or Mathematics or both.
With their vacancy advertisements eliciting no response, the schools are sending their representatives to Terai region to look for subjects teachers.
"We had brought in Mathematics and Science teachers from Tarai back in 1998," said Ambika Prashad Poudel, a local teacher of Kalika School. "As we couldn't find teachers despite publishing several advertisements, we'll again go to Tarai and fetch teachers for the new academic session," she added.
Such a situation arose after the administration transferred many of their teachers to other places. However, the problems had worsened after Teachers Service Commission (TSC) of the district conducted examination last year for teaching license. After distribution of license upon passing the exam, teachers without license were informed through circular to resign from their posts within November and appear for the next exam. However, most of those who resigned chose not to appear in the examination.
The contradiction between Education Act and Regulations is also one of the reasons behind the sorry state of the schools. Although teachers without license are said to be eligible to teach Mathematics and Science subjects as per recently amended policy of the government, it is yet to be implemented.
According to the District Education Office (DEO), due to the lack of such subject teachers in the district, it is unable to address the problem promptly. Notice boards of DEO are filled with teachers' vacancies. Even after posting vacancies thrice, the schools got no response.
Bhojpur district does not have teachers for those subjects, according to Rewati Parajuli, acting District Education Officer. "Even if we manage to bring qualified teachers from other districts, the problem is they do not carry teachers' license," said Parajuli.
According to Kamal Prasad Rai, chairman of Bhojpur chapter of Nepal Teachers Union, the government should take this problem seriously. He said the problem is not just in the district, there is shortage of teachers for Mathematics and Science subjects across the country. Many schools are on the verge of closure just because of this problem.
"The future of students depends highly upon the guidance of their teachers. Our students face an uncertain future as they are left without teachers," said Rai.
According to data, only 875 students, among 2,800 who appeared in the SLC exams from the district last year succeeded. The record shows that students did not perform well in Mathematics and Science as they did not have teachers for those subjects last year as well. More than 75 percent of the students failed in those subjects alone.
Schools such as Jalpa HS of Khatamma, Jalpa Devi HS of Chaukidada, Santa Sabitri HS of Nepaledada, and Prajatantra HS of Homtang, among dozen others do not have teachers for Mathematics and Science subjects at present. Those schools are seeking out those subjects teachers in Terai region.
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