Feature: Young Nepalese seek permanent teaching jobs amid job scarcity due to quakes

Despite that two strong earthquakes have rattled Nepal, thousands of Nepalese teachers queued up Thursday to take the examinations for permanent teaching positions. "More than 6,000 people have already submitted their forms for the examinations for permanent teachers," said an education official at the Viswa Niketan Higher Secondary School, one of the two centers in the Central Development Region to accept application forms.

The official said that as the forms are to be collected only in the regional level, there was a deluge of applicants in the last minute.

Sarada Regmi from Kathmandu is competing for a permanent secondary level Nepali language teacher. She said there is a vacancy for only 44 positions but there are more than a thousand examinees. "Though the competition is tough, I am confident that I can pass the exams," she said.

Regmi has been teaching for 15 years in a community school but she has only a temporary appointment. She said that if she passes the examinations, she would be given a permanent position. "What I am after are job security and other benefits that go with a permanent position," Regmi said.

Regmi has survived the two successive quakes but the apartment where she used to live has suffered cracks and could be demolished.

According to Regmi, the government should consider the experience of temporary teachers like her and should be given priority in permanent positions.

Gukul Giri from Dhading, one of the worst quake-affected districts, has been teaching for 12 years in Rani Pauwa higher secondary school. He said that he wants to have a permanent job especially now that there is a job scarcity due to the earthquakes.

"There might be more unemployment and the powerless people like us would have no access to the top-level jobs, especially in the private sector. I prefer to a permanent government job because it offers more security," Giri said.

Govinda Lohani, also from a quake-affected district, is competing for 62 positions in English high school level along with more than a thousand examinees. "A permanent teacher has a better social standing and there is a security of tenure," Lohani, who has already had five years experience as a temporary teacher, said.

Lohani said that unlike in the private sector where the salary of teachers would depend on the number of students enrolled, and in the public schools the salary is standardized. She said there are also more benefits in the government service.

The 22-year-old Rajesh Gupta said that while he used to work in a private firm with a good salary, he took the examinations for permanent teachers because he believed that there is more security in a government job. "The medical benefits, insurance and pension are other aspects that attract young educated people to join the government," Gupta said.

Baidya Nath Chaudhary, English teacher from Yuba Sahabhagita High School, said that applicants for permanent teaching jobs are increasing every year.

He said more than 2,000 teachers are competing for 75 positions of lower secondary English teachers.

Achyut Bhandari, who was waiting for his turn to submit his form, said that the number of applicants is higher this year because the possibility of losing a temporary job is more during a crisis situation.

Rupa Kandel, a temporary Nepali language teacher from the western Nepal, said that the competition for permanent teaching jobs is very high this year. "We temporary teachers are paid only based on our actual teaching period so we are the most affected people at this time of crisis when most classes have been suspended," Kandel said. Endi