‘Teacher shortage problem at community schools will be addressed by mid-April’

Minister for Education, Science and Technology Giriraj Mani Pokharel has said the shortage of teachers at community schools would be resolved by mid-April this year.

Addressing a programme oeganised to mark the 41st anniversary of Jana Bikas Secondary School, the Education Minister said there was shortfall of 39 thousand teachers as many community schools have been established and this deficit would be addressed by mid-April.

On the occasion, he shared that this number of teacher posts would be initiated by the local level.

Saying the government’s releasing the budget to the schools would alone not be sufficient for improving the quality of education in community schools, Minister Pokharel urged the teachers to also provide education that is competent with the private schools. He stressed the need of creating environment conducive for quality education in community schools to draw students.

‘The teachers themselves do not get their children admitted in community schools. If the teachers did that, then the level of education at the community schools would automatically be changed," he opined.

The Minister insisted that the old style of teaching and management would not improve the schools and hence the schools needed to be linked to development, skill enhancement and prosperity. Stress should be given on such education that opens up the hidden talent in children, he said.

Education Minister Pokharel further stated that the government was preparing to draft the Education Act now as the Education Policy has already been brought.

Dispelling doubts that mathematics has been removed from curriculum at school level, he said this subject has been made compulsory up to grade 10 and the syllabus in consonance with 10 various types of lifestyle that are taught throughout the world have been started from grade 11.

Minister Pokharel maintained that volunteer teachers would be mobilised as there is shortage of teachers. Students passing Bachelor level and Master level courses would be mobilised as volunteer teachers with an allowanmce of Rs 30,000 and Rs 32,000 respectively under the "Let Us Know the Country and Learn About Our Soil" campaign, he added.

School Principal Sita Kumari Dhakal said there was an attraction of students in her school as it teaches both in English and Nepali medium. The school runs classes up to grade 12. It was established 41 years ago.