Kathmandu, Apr. 6: The Ministry of Education and Nepal Teachers’ Association reached an accord here recently on improvement of educational standard and professional development of teachers.

The accord will be instrumental in implementing an understanding reached between the two sides on November 4, the Ministry says.

under the accord, the ministry is to start necessary process and set criteria for providing one promotion opportunity to the third class teachers with fifteen years of permanent teaching service at secondary, lower secondary and primary levels. This will require it to make hundred percent increase in present promotion ratio, according to the Ministry.

Besides, it will also make necessary arrangement so that if a teacher is to retire from the level of service he joined during his first recruitment he will be upgraded one level a month before his retirement.

Under the understanding, a National Teachers Aervice Commission will be constituted in a week’s time at most and the commission thus constituted will start as soon as possible necessary procedures in a scientific, impartial and transparent manner on granting permanent status to teachers.

The amendment to the education act, in this connection has already been effected and the process regarding the constitution of the commission has also reached the final phase, it is learnt.

The Education Ministry has been acting quite sensitively on providing necessary assistance to teachers and their families affected by political violence and terrorism, the ministry says, adding that in the days to come it will make arrangement, by mobilising available various resources, for provision of free schooling up to secondary level to the children of teachers thus affected.

Noting that arrangement is already under way for providing government’s annual grants-in-aid of RS 10,000, Rs 12,000 and 20,000 to primary, lower secondary and secondary schools respectively, it says the aid amount will be increased gradually in the coming years.

As regards standardisation of education and education sector, the teachers association is stated to have pledged its greater commitment in that direction.