You might be surprised to hear that nowadays teachers are being appointed using the tender system. Last week, teachers were selected in just this manner for Bhrikuti Primary School in Madanpur Village Development Committee of Nuwakot district.

The school has financial problems and a severe shortage of teachers, and the villagers decided they had to do something about it. According to system they devised, the selected teacher would be from Madanpur, would be paid a minimum amount and be more a volunteer than a paid employee. Of the eight people who submitted applications, Manohar Lama was selected as he had quoted the lowest amount, Rs 2,000 per year to teach at the school. Lama will have to work eight months of the year as a volunteer and for the other four months, he will be paid Rs 500 per month. This VDC falls in Nuwakot's election constituency number one and is a three-hour walk from the district headquarters, Bidur. Each person submitting applications was asked to deposit Rs 200. According to the school's principal, Jagannath Silwal, none of the eight candidates had studied beyond the School Leaving Certificate (SLC) level.

Rajendra Mani Khanal, the village representative in the District Development Committee, says the villagers collected Rs 80,000 this past Tihar for the school. This money will be used to construct the school building, add grade nine and pay teachers.

A year earlier, teachers were appointed in the same way in a school in Ramechhap. The person selected had agreed to work for Rs 400 per month. And three months ago, another teacher was selected similarly in Sindhuli. There is a shortfall of 27,000 teachers nationwide, but because of financial problems the government has not been able to meet this requirement. This is why schools in villages have adopted this way to get the teachers they need.