As many as four teachers resigned from the same school.
BHAKTAPUR, August 20: Most of the teachers in Suryabinayak Municipality of Bhaktapur have resigned after an incentive program was introduced for voluntary resignation. Of the total schools in the city, teachers of nearly 62 percent of schools have resigned.
Not only this, 66 percent of the 24 basic school teachers in the municipality have resigned. According to the municipality, teachers working in 16 basic schools and five secondary schools have resigned. There are 34 basic and secondary level schools in the municipality.
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The teachers of various schools of the municipality including Sirutar Higher Secondary School, Somlingeshwar HSS, Ganesh HSS, Katunje Lower Secondary School, Suvarneshwar LSS, Shanti Niketan HSS, Santakrishna LSS, Shanti Bhairab LSS, Bhubaneswari HSS, Mahakaleshwar LSS, Deujagaon LSS, Bhagwati LSS, Balshiksha Sadan LSS, Dahagau LSS, Jorpati HSS, Saraswati HSS (Kankrabari), Devi LSS, Ashapuri LSS, Chitrapur LSS and Balchetan LSS have resigned.
The municipality stated that the teachers have resigned willingly. Mayor Basudev Thapa informed Republica that the trend of resignation has increased after the government introduced an incentive program for teachers who have been teaching for a long time to resign voluntarily. The municipality had brought such an incentive last year too. However, no one participated in the program. “Last year, the program failed as no one resigned. But the number of teachers resigning this year has skyrocketed,” said Mayor Thapa.
The municipality had brought a cash program to replace old teachers who were working for a long time with fresh and energetic candidates. This year, under the program, there was a package of Rs 150,000 to Rs 350,000 for the teachers who would resign. Thus, the teachers seemed eager to participate in the program. Last year, it was only Rs 100,000. “As this year's cash program increased the incentive, the number of resignations increased,” said Mayor Thapa.
Deputy Director of Education, Youth and Sports of the municipality, Saraswati Koirala stated that the municipality had brought the package to fill in the positions and other management work in the community schools. She said that the number of teachers who want to take voluntary retirement is significant.
The municipality has provided Rs 150,000 for teachers with one year of service, Rs 200,000 for teachers with more than one year of service, Rs 250,000 for teachers with more than two years, Rs 300,000 for teachers with three to four years of service and Rs 350,000 to the teachers with more than four years of service. According to an official of the education department, there are 224 permanent posts and 11 ‘relief quota’ posts at the basic schools.
According to the municipality, up to four teachers from the same school have resigned. Four teachers have resigned from Katunje School, three teachers from Ganesh and Sant Krishna School have resigned at the same time. According to the municipality, it has been easier for management of various positions after the resignation of the teachers.
"We have more teachers at the pre-primary and lower secondary levels. Thus, it was difficult to manage. After the teachers resigned voluntarily, it now seems to be easier," said an official of the municipal education branch.
