In a bid to press the government and private school operators to implement the 19-point agreement regarding appointment letter for teachers, salary and benefits on par with government schools' teachers, the Institutional School Teachers Union (ISTU) has launched indefinite nationwide shutdown of all schools across the nation from Thursday.The ISNU, which has also support from the Nepal Educational Republican Forum (NERF), has been gheraoing Education Ministry and departments for the last few days.
Issuing a joint statement on Wednesday, All Nepal Teachers Union (ANTU) and All Nepal Free Student Union- Revolutionary (ANFSU-R) too stated they have no option than to continue their protest programs since the government has failed to implement the agreement regarding teachers' demands.
"To get something we have to lose something; though we are aware that closing down all schools will hamper students' education, we have no option as the government has not acted responsibly regarding our demands," said the statement.
The statement informs that starting from Thursday; all schools across the nation will be shut down indefinitely.
However, the ongoing examinations of grade XI will not be hampered.
On coming Saturday, the union will hold interactions with all concerned stakeholders as well as carry out one hour of transportation strike in Kathmandu Valley, followed by various other programs in the following days.
On the other hand, the Private and Boarding Schools Organization of Nepal (PABSON) and National-PABSON are going to deliver their memo to the Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala on Thursday.
PABSON and N-PABSON – umbrella organisations of over 8,000 private schools have also called for indefinite nationwide shutdown of schools across the nation.
On Wednesday, PABSON and N-PABSON had warned that they will not pay salaries to teachers and staffs during the period of strike.
Umesh Shrestha, president of PABSON delivering memo to Education Ministry had appealed to the ministry to pay serious attention to the problem and resolve it through negotiation with the agitators.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education and Sports also issued a statement urging the teachers union to call off the strike programs and let schools run smoothly. "The problems can be sorted out through peaceful dialogue," said the statement. "The ministry is in the process of amending the necessary provisions in the Education Act as per the teachers' valid demands."
Similarly, by issuing separate statements, Parents Association Nepal and Private and Boarding School Employees' Union, Nepal have urged the concerned parties to solve the problem through dialogue and not paralyze the entire school education sector in a thoughtless manner.
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