Classes halted for 6 months due to vacancy dispute

Kathmandu. KANCHANPUR: Mathematics classes have been disrupted at a school in Beldandi rural municipality of Kanchanpur for the past 6 months. Ward No. Classes at Ganesh Secondary School in Bhursa have been affected due to the dispute over the adjustment of teachers.

A meeting of the rural municipality held on September 9 last year. Kriparam Upadhyaya, principal of Rauleshwor Secondary School in Province No. 2, has been posted at Ganesh Secondary School, Mohanpur, Bhursa for the adjustment and management of the vacancy.

On the basis of a proposal prepared by Education Section Chief Bhanu Bhakta Joshi, the rural municipality chair Harish Chandra Rana decided to adjust the relief quota for Upadhyay in Ganesh Secondary School, where there is no permanent post for mathematics subject.

v. No. Upadhyay, who has been a mathematics teacher and principal at Rauleshwor Secondary School since 2076 BS, had filed a writ petition at the Administrative Court challenging the decision. The court concluded that the posting was against the Local Government Operation Act, 2074, Education Act, 2082, Education Regulations, 2059, Teachers Transfer Directive, 2081 and Teacher Recruitment Adjustment and Management Work Procedure, 2076 BS.

The rural municipality had filed an appeal against Upadhyay’s order to teach at Rauleshwor Secondary School. The court had issued an interim order on November 11 to keep Upadhyay in status quo until the appeal was settled.

Disobey court’s order, withhold salary

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Rural municipality vice-chair Shanti Nath said that the rural municipality chair Rana and education section chief Joshi had exerted pressure on Upadhyay to teach at Ganesh Secondary School. He also said that the request not to take the decision against the working procedure was arbitrary.

The lack of mathematics teachers has affected the teaching and learning activities of the students at Ganesh Secondary School. The education department has also withheld Upadhyay’s salary for the past 6 months. Upadhyaya, who has been teaching at Rauleshwor Secondary School, complained that he has not been paid for a long time.

On the other hand, Joshi said that they were trying to send Upadhyay to Ganesh Secondary School due to lack of teachers. He said that initiatives would be taken to resume regular classes from the next academic session. He also informed that the salary up to March will be sent to the account within a few days.