Lack of teachers in Kalikot schools risks student’s future

By Prem Raj Simkhada,Kalikot, May 27: “When will we get subject-related qualified teachers?” questioned Shanti Sarki, a student of Kalika Secondary School in Ward No. 5 of Tilagufa Municipality in Kalikot district. Sarki’s question was to the ward’s chairman and the school’s headmaster in a school-level discussion on quality education organised in the school.

The question was a result of a lack of qualified teachers in the school. Despite a secondary-level school, teachers who have only passed the basic-level teachers’ examination are taking classes at the secondary level.

Nevertheless, it has been several years since the students started asking the same question. The scenario is similar in several schools across the district. 

In many of them, students have passed the secondary education examination without qualified teachers to guide them. Durga Secondary School, Malika Secondary School and Mahadev Secondary School among others in the municipality are also facing the same problem.

Responding to the question of Karki regarding how many more years they had to wait, Upendra Prasad Neupane, Ward No. 5 chairman and a member of the school management committee, said that the problem would be solved by the upcoming municipal council meeting.

“The municipality has inspected all the schools and has collected concrete details of the problem. It will be solved at the earliest in every school,” said Neupane. 

On the other hand, some schools are also collecting money from the students citing the management of teachers despite government schools being liable to provide education for free.

Mahadev Secondary School in Rudu, Tilagufa, collects Rs. 1,500 each from the students; however, the school has not employed any new subject-related qualified teacher.

“Some schools could be seen employing teachers under contract basis and paying their salaries from the school’s personal source. 

Many such teachers are also now on leave to prepare for the examination of the Teachers Service Commission,” said Laxmi Prasad Neupane, a local.

Laxmi Prasad also informed that parents across the municipality were afraid for their children’s future.