Gulmi School Struggles as Math Teacher Position Remains Empty
At Shukra Secondary School in Khadgakot, Kaligandaki Rural Municipality–6, Gulmi, the classrooms have felt incomplete for a while now. The reason? There’s been no math teacher for months, and students are falling behind in a subject that's already tough for many.
Principal Prem Bahadur Pun Magar shared that despite advertising the vacancy four times for a government-funded math teaching position at the secondary level, no one has applied. With the new academic session already underway, the school is running without a math teacher—and the learning gap is growing wider every day.
He explained that the previous teacher transferred closer to home, and no one has stepped in since. Now, the school has officially asked the local government for support in arranging a replacement.
Deepa Thapa, a tenth-grade student, expressed her frustration. “Since this school year started, we haven’t had a math class. It's one of the most difficult subjects, and we’re not even getting the chance to study it properly.”
Her classmate, Abhishek Thapa, echoed her concerns and urged officials to act fast. “This school is already in a remote area. Without teachers, it’s getting even harder for us to keep up,” he said.
Bed Bahadur Thapa, Chairperson of Kaligandaki Rural Municipality, admitted the issue isn’t just with this school. He said they’ve tried several times to hire someone, but teachers with the required licenses are few in rural areas—and most prefer to stay in cities.
He added that even if a permanent solution takes time, the municipality is working on a temporary fix so that students won’t miss out on their education any longer.
Thaneshwar Ghimire, Chief of the Education Development and Coordination Unit in Gulmi, said the shortage isn’t limited to math teachers—it also includes science and English.
“This isn’t just a problem in our district. Schools all over Nepal are facing similar shortages,” he noted. “In Musikot Municipality, it took six rounds of advertisements to finally hire a math teacher.”
This is more than just a staffing issue—it’s a real barrier to learning for students who are already facing challenges due to their location. While officials are trying to find solutions, students at Shukra Secondary School continue to wait for something as basic as a math class.
Gulmi School News