Rupa Devi Secondary School, located in Malkot Uchhawa, Narharinath-7, has advertised for the 19th time for a mathematics teacher.

This remote school, bordering Ramarosan in Achham, has advertised for the 19th time after not getting a teacher for the mathematics subject it received last year under the federal grant. 'Since Baisakhi, we have not received any applications even after advertising for the 18th time with a gap of 15/15 days. It has become difficult to find a mathematics teacher,' said school principal Dan Bahadur Budha.

The school advertised for the 19th time on Kartik 30. He said it was difficult to find a licensed teacher. From Uchchav, where 90 percent of the Dalit community lives, one has to walk through a forest for 2 hours to reach the nearest school. Since the school is far away, the locals raised a complaint and established Rupadevi School in 2035. It has 375 students from early childhood development to 10th. The school, which has 3 permanent primary school posts, has 13 teachers from municipal grants and private sources.

Kalika Secondary School in Shubhakalika Rural Municipality-2, Balachaur, did not apply for a teaching license despite five advertisements for secondary school science teachers for the previous academic session. The federal grant for science from the rural municipality for the academic session 081/082 was frozen after no one applied.

The school has recruited unlicensed science teachers after repeatedly advertising. Headmistress Saraswati Basnet said that the local Amar Bahadur Shahi, a science graduate, was appointed as a teacher by taking him from his parents and paying him Rs 25,000 per month during the management committee meeting on 10th Jestha. ‘No licensed teachers were found. The school had to run, even if there were unlicensed teachers,’ she said. She complained that the budget was frozen due to the lack of licensed teachers within the federal grant quota provided by the government and the school had to plead with parents to raise the teacher’s salary.

The school, which was established in 046 BS, has been providing education from 075 to 10th grade. Out of the 501 students studying in this school, 283 are from the Dalit community. The school, which has 3 permanent positions at the primary level, has 13 teachers from the municipality, federal grants and private sources.
Shubhakalika-2 Ward Chairman Man Bahadur Shahi said that it is difficult to find teachers for subjects such as mathematics and science in remote schools. ‘We have not been able to find licensed teachers even after paying more than the government has set aside. The government’s quality education has only become a slogan and propaganda,’ he said.

Kalika Mavi, where the municipality is providing education with some positions, has 578 students, but the permanent positions for Nimavi and Mavi levels are not the same.

Similarly, Dahal Secondary School Sukatiya and Janata Secondary School Sartha, which have zero vacancies, have also not received federally funded science, mathematics and English teachers, said Nawaraj Acharya, head of the Education, Youth and Sports Branch of Shubhakalika Rural Municipality. Despite the government policy of providing Rs 43,689 per person as federal grant for 3 teachers per school for English, mathematics and science subjects to 12 secondary schools without permanent vacancies, the schools are facing difficulties as they are not getting teachers.

According to him, it is difficult to get teachers for mathematics and science subjects. Even if teachers for mathematics and science pass B.S., they cannot directly take the licensing exam, so they have to do a one-year B.Ed, said the branch head Acharya. ‘Most of the youth who have studied science have a choice of going abroad or doing public service.’ There is tension everywhere due to the shortage of skilled manpower.'

Palata Rural Municipality last year advertised for teachers of English, Mathematics and Science using the federal grant budget. After advertising for English 10, Mathematics 10 and Science 12 teachers, the concerned school was asked to find teachers. After that, Dudheshillo Secondary School in Bershankot here advertised three times but did not get a teacher, said Principal Manavhadur Rokaya. 'We contacted networks across the country to find a science teacher,' said Rokaya, who is also the Karnali Province President of the Nepal Teachers' Association. 'Even though we could not find one anywhere, we recruited teachers from neighboring schools.' Amar Bahadur Shahi, a science teacher working at Kalika Secondary School, Dhaulagoh Dori, was appointed with an additional 10,000 from private sources.’

Although the oldest school in Kalikot, established in 2016, received approval from Jumla for classes 5 in 2028, 8 in 2056, 10 in 2067 and 12 in 2075, there is no permanent secondary school post yet. ‘My job is only to find teachers. It is difficult to retain even the teachers I have recruited,’ he said. Dudheshillo Secondary School, which has 470 students, has 16 school staff including 4 permanent primary school teachers, 1 junior secondary school teacher, 3 junior secondary school teacher and 3 senior secondary school teacher.

Narharinath Rural Municipality, which has been in the news in the district for years due to the retirement of unlicensed teachers to improve educational quality, the transfer of teachers who have been in the same school for years based on accessibility, school mergers and downgrading, also has a shortage of subject-specific teachers in the 3 main subjects. Dhankrishna Pandey, a source at the municipality's education, youth and sports department, said that it is difficult to find licensed teachers in the advertisements for grants due to the lack of permanent positions.