Fearing CIAA, near 1,800 teachers quit since Sept

KATHMANDU, March 14: As many as 1,796 teachers resigned from the government's teaching service in the last five months in what is seen as a bid to escape action by the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) against the use of forged documents.

After the CIAA stepped up investigations focusing on those who got into public service using forged certificates, resignations en masse by school teachers have been reported from across the country. Altogether 1,330 teachers of primary level, 274 of lower secondary level and 192 of secondary level have resigned abruptly since September 17, according to the latest data at the Department of Education (DoE).


Palpa district has topped the chart for teacher resignations, with 93 teachers resigning citing various reasons. Similarly, 73 of them quit their jobs in Kathmandu Valley, including 47 in Kathmandu, 14 in Lalitpur and 12 in Bhaktapur, way before their retirement age.

DoE Director Khagendra Nepal told Republica that the particulars of teachers have been forwarded to the CIAA, which will precede with further investigations. The anti-graft body on February 4 directed DoE to produce its report so that those found to be at fault can be booked.

"The en masse resignation is unnatural and suggests their entry into service with the use of false documents, but it would be unjust to lump them all together," said Nepal, adding that some cases of teachers quitting on reasonable grounds might also be found.

The CIAA will investigate and file cases in court if teachers' certificates are found to have been forged, added Nepal.

Uday Raj Soti, chairperson of the Teacher's Service Commission (TSC), the government body responsible for issuing teacher licenses and filling teaching vacancies in government schools, said that any wrongdoers would be booked as per the verdict of the court.

Under the Prevention of Corruption Act 2002, furnishing false of particulars can be liable to imprisonment for six months to one year and a fine of Rs 10,000 to 20,000, depending on the gravity of the case involved.

Total resignations since September 17 - 1,796

Resignations at primary level - 1,330

Lower secondary - 274

Secondary level - 192

Highest number in Palpa - 93

Kathmandu Valley - 73

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