Teacher training graduates appealed to Lyonchhoen for govt. jobs

Employment: The government in the past has misled graduates of teacher training institutes about “getting government jobs automatically” on completion of the training.

Prime Minister, Tshering Tobgay yesterday during the 14th meet the press session said, while it was wrong for B. Ed graduates to expect a guaranteed job in the civil service on completion of their four years teachers training, it was also a failure on the part of the government all along to have misled the graduates.

He said the government in the past was aware that there are more than 8,500 teachers across the country including those on contract today. They were also aware that the teacher-student ration was 1:21 and the government cannot employee many more teachers, he said.

“So far B. Ed students have understood that after graduation they get a government job automatically, that was wrong to begin with,” he said. “It should have made clear that the government would give education until degree, but not job guarantee.”

He added that the government is disappointed and concerned. The government wants every child to be employed to make sure graduates are able to contribute to nation building.  “But government jobs are not the only option.”

The vacancy announcement by Royal Civil Service Commission (RCSC) for B. Ed graduates has left most of them disappointed. RCSC announced 182 vacancies for the 417 graduates who appeared the civil service examination, which ended on January 7.

Of the 182, the highest slot, 120 are allotted to B. Ed primary but 201 candidates appeared this examination. Another 50 slots are allotted to B. Ed Dzongkha and five to B. Ed secondary mathematics and physics, which has 54 graduates appearing the exam.

For the 83 graduates of B. Ed secondary English and IT, biology and chemistry, and English and history, there are only six vacancies. Of the 13 English and geography graduates, only one will be absorbed into the civil service.

A group of graduates had met the prime minister after the vacancies were announced, appealing if the number of vacancies could increase.  The prime minister said, he understands the pain and disappointment of the graduates, but it was his responsibility to be honest with them, “I told them nobody has guaranteed anybody a job in the civil service.”

Conveying a message to college students who are studying currently, the prime minister said, they must prepare themselves to face the reality of job market, which is going to be “extremely” challenging.

While the government would do its best to employee graduates, as part of their pledge, yet the government wants parents and students to cooperate and look for jobs outside the civil service.

“If educated youth cannot come together to create jobs, when we are giving subsidised loans and support, who can then?” Lyonchhoen said.

The agriculture minister Yeshey Dorji added that student’s of College of Natural Resource in Lobesa has similar notions of secured jobs on completion of the course.

“Agriculture ministry has already informed in writing, three years back, that not all graduates completing from CNR will have a secured job,” he said adding that this year more than 40 graduates were not absorbed into civil service.

Education minister Mingbo Dukpa also said RCSC had used a formula to calculate all the teachers who are in the system. By that calculation only the announced vacancies were found to be required.

He said, when the ministry looked into the details, it was found that about 400 plus teachers were on study leave, more than 80 were on extraordinary leave.  However, Lyonchhoen cut short the education minister from explaining the formula.

By Nirmala Pokhrel