Budhanilkantha Reports 14% Learning Improvement Through Teacher Bank

Kathmandu. Budhanilkantha Municipality has reported improvements in learning outcomes at its community schools following the implementation of its Teacher Bank program, introduced to improve educational quality and ensure regular classroom instruction.

According to the municipality, educational quality and learning achievement in community schools have increased by 14% compared with the period before the program was introduced.

The municipality states that the initiative, implemented over the past three to four years, has completely addressed the problem of classes remaining unattended due to teacher shortages.

160 Teachers Listed, 120 Already Deployed

According to the municipality, 160 teachers have been registered in the Teacher Bank so far.

Of these, 120 teachers have already been deployed to various schools, while another 40 remain on the roster and are available for deployment.

The municipality aims to increase the number of registered teachers to approximately 300 in the future.

The Teacher Bank is used to assign teachers to all 18 community schools within the municipality whenever regular teachers are on leave or teaching positions become vacant.

Teacher Selection Process and Benefits

Teachers are registered in the Teacher Bank in accordance with the Teacher Bank Management Procedure developed by the municipality.

Only candidates who pass both written and oral examinations are included in the roster.

When regular teachers take maternity leave, bereavement leave, sick leave, or other occasional leave, teachers from the bank are assigned immediately to maintain continuity in classroom instruction.

Teachers deployed through the program receive salaries and benefits equivalent to those provided to regular teachers in community schools.

Supporting Community Schools and Extracurricular Activities

According to Budhanilkantha Municipality Mayor Mitharam Adhikari, the Teacher Bank concept was introduced four years ago to help community schools compete with private schools.

The initiative has made it easier to address shortages of teachers in core subjects such as Mathematics, Science, English, and Accountancy.

The program has also supported extracurricular activities, including:

• Sports

• Music and singing

• Yoga

• Learning Skills While Studying (Padhdai Sip Sikdai)

According to the Mayor, the Teacher Bank has been particularly useful in making teachers available for these subjects and activities when schools face staffing shortages.

Making Better Use of Limited Resources

Lalit Bikram Singh, Deputy Secretary and Head of the Education, Youth and Sports Section of Budhanilkantha Municipality, said the Teacher Bank has become a model for managing limited educational resources systematically.

He explained that it is not feasible for every community school to appoint separate teachers for extracurricular activities.

To address this limitation, a teacher from the Teacher Bank may visit three to four schools in a single day to conduct teaching activities.

According to Singh, this arrangement has encouraged the exchange of teaching and learning experiences among schools while making effective use of available resources.

Municipality Reports End to Teacher Shortage Complaints

The municipality states that complaints from students and parents about delays in completing the curriculum due to teacher shortages have now been completely resolved.

Previously, the absence of teachers had made it difficult for some schools to complete their prescribed courses on time.

According to the municipality, the Teacher Bank has helped maintain regular classroom instruction, address temporary staffing shortages, and support learning activities across community schools.