Schools shut down across the country

The protest programme being organised by Nepal Educational Republican Forum (NERF) (NERF) and the Institutional School Teachers’ Union (ISTU) forced a nationwide shutdown of all government, private and community run schools across the country.

Since January NERF and ISTU is demanding, among others, appointment letter for teachers, salary and benefits on par with government schools' teachers.The teacher’s union ISTU along with NERF also staged a sit-in in front of the Ministry of Education (MoE) on Sunday protesting the government’s failure to meet their demands.

The protesting teachers said that they were compelled to take this drastic measure because of the government’s failure to implement the 19-point agreement reached earlier with the ministry and Private and Boarding School’s Organization (PABSON).

They also warned that they would announce an indefinite closure of schools from May 17 if the government failed to fulfill their demands.

Meanwhile, Education Ministry spokesperson Laba Prasad Tripathee told the Himalayan Times that the government is very serious about the teachers’ problems and are holding talks with the teachers' union and other stakeholders to solve the problem within this week.