KATHMANDU: The Nepal Teachers’ Federation has announced the first phase of protests, claiming that key concerns of teachers and staff were ignored in the School Education Bill recently endorsed by the Education Committee of Parliament.
At a press conference in Kathmandu on Friday, the Federation said that despite earlier agreements with the government, many of their major demands had not been addressed in the draft bill.
Federation Chair Laxmi Kishore Subedi acknowledged that the bill contained some positive provisions but stressed that critical issues concerning teachers and employees remained unresolved.
As part of the initial protest plan, the Federation will submit memorandums to the Prime Minister, Education Minister, and chief whips of political parties on August 25. From August 27 to September 5, teachers will deliver memorandums to all major political party offices in Kathmandu while staging two-hour sit-ins.
On August 29, similar attention letters will be submitted at the local level across municipalities, followed by submissions at district coordination units on August 31.
Chair Subedi warned that a second phase of agitation would be announced on September 6, with stronger demonstrations and pressure tactics, including conceptual protests and street demonstrations. He said the upcoming movement would be more forceful than in the past, adding that the Federation’s main priority remained the full implementation of the government’s previous agreements.
He expressed hope that the ongoing parliamentary discussions on the bill would ultimately incorporate the Federation’s demands before it is passed.
