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Kathmandu Saturday December 15, 2001 Marga 30, 2058.
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Teachers against amendment
bill
By Khila Sharma
In the wake of passage of the Education Seventh
Amendment Bill 2058 by both the Houses of Parliament, a lot of outcry from various
teachers’ organisations has been heard. This reminds us of the time when the then
government headed by Nepali Congress veteran Krishna Prasad Bhattarai decided to start
legal proceedings to give permanent status to all teachers appointed to government
positions for at least one year. At that time, all teachers’ organisations and
political parties were competing to hail the decision. Though there was hardly any
professional or political organisation condemning the resolution, a Supreme Court verdict
declared it unlawful after investigating a couple of writ petitions filed by different
individuals.
Teachers’ organisations and political
parties had once again forgotten that such a blanket decision might mean a significant
number of unqualified folks in the teaching profession, which in turn will result in poor
quality education for at least another 20 years. But the ruling Nepali Congress party’s
sister organisation, Nepal Students’ Association was critical of the decision owing
to the possibility of a large group of teachers who are believed to be loyal to different
communist parties acquiring permanent status. Such an action makes the nation ponder over
the real concern of the teachers’ organisations and political parties. It seems that
luring more and more teachers to their fold has priority over giving the nation quality
education. Due to this kind of illusion, they make mistakes from time to time.
It is a bitter reality that while the
infrastructure at public schools has become far better after the restoration of democracy,
the quality of education is deteriorating. Educational development is not about what types
of buildings have been erected but it is what junior citizens have developed within
themselves, which is a result of the activities that go on inside and outside the school
buildings.
Nepal Teachers’ Association, which has
appealed to its members to denounce their affiliation with the ruling party, deserves
congratulations and best wishes. The association bosses themselves know whether the step
is a genuine attempt to make the association completely professional and apolitical or it
is the only alternative open after the Education Seventh Amendment Bill’s passage by
Parliament. At the same time, I wonder why the association echoes every word of their
organisations against some of the provisions in the Bill, like testing and licensing of
teachers, the formation and authority of school management committees, etc.
Why do the organisations not show willingness to
act in unison with the government to save the forthcoming education regulations from the
possibility of malpractice so that school management committees will not be left unbridled
to determine the fate of teachers? We cannot doubt the intention of the government to
question the qualification of teachers at work and deny the service they rendered to the
nation up till now. These teachers are the gurus of present day ministers, lawmakers and
leaders. A lot of news about many teachers resigning from their posts in various districts
is flooding in. Teachers’ organisations are handing in memoranda to government bodies
and protesting. It is reported that they fear some of the provisions in the bill like the
testing and licensing of teachers. But this is a time when they should have chosen to show
their proven qualifications.
Does not count for anything in the field of
education where experience? The teachers who are fleeing this field and resigning because
of the fear that they may not qualify in the licensing tests can be cheats and traitors.
The nation does not owe them their gratuity or pension. Moreover, the nation has the right
to penalise them for the remuneration they have earned so far. They can be likened to
runaways and treated accordingly. Because they have pocketed the money for the work they
themselves do not consider worth paying for. Can’t a teacher who has a 20 year
teaching experience solve a teaching-learning problem better than a novice? Doesn’t a
teacher who has taught thousands of children and has brought up a number of his/her own
children know child psychology better than a bachelor? Can’t a well-experienced
teacher teach better than a student teacher? What a controversy! I think teachers should
be proud of the testing and licensing provisions, which is supposed to provide a litmus
test. But the question is one of the implementation part being free from all kinds of
prejudice, disparity and abuse of authority again. Why are teachers who give students so
many tests and grade them afraid of a single test for themselves? Why do they want to pass
a test even without taking it? Do they pass only eligible students at their schools?
The teachers are also somewhat responsible for
the vicious circle in the Nepali education system. First, there are many such
organisations, all of which proclaim that they have been campaigning for professional
rights and the security of teachers. I don’t understand whether they want to be
powerful by being many in number because as the saying goes ‘theirs is safety in
numbers’, or only their top bosses have been gaining advantage over root level
members by making them puppets of different political parties. Don’t they know that
united they stand, divided they fall? When one organisation raises its voice against
malpractice and mismanagement, another organisation is either in sound sleep or campaigns
against it.
Secondly, their move seems to be to admit
unqualified quacks into this field. Because if one goes to see for oneself, one finds many
teachers recruited temporarily by local school management committees. Remember that a
headmaster also has a say while forming the committee and reaching decisions at meetings.
After some time, teachers’ organisations demand that these teachers be given
permanent status. This is also an example of the existing practice. Then what’s wrong
in giving a lot of responsibility and authority to a school management committee
comprising legitimate guardians under the new provision?
Thirdly, teachers’ organisations in this
country don’t go to court in time when a competitive exam is interpreted improperly,
retotalling applications are considered and results are published according to education
regulations amended during the selection process.
(The author is a teacher)
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