Agreement between Gov’t and protesting teachers, protests withdrawn

KATHMANDU, Sep 22: An agreement has been reached between the government and the protesting teachers after the negotiation between the two parties which was held at the Ministry of Home Affairs.

An agreement has been made on maintaining the dignity of teachers teaching in Nepal's public schools, respecting the sovereignty of the parliament in the provisions of the Bill made to amend and unify the laws related to school education, and facilitating the processes on the parliamentary system, practice and operation of the federal parliament to proceed according to the existing laws.

Similarly, it has been agreed to form a study committee with representation from the Confederation of Nepalese Teachers (CNT) as well as experts on the adjustment of teachers, tier system and periodical promotion. An agreement was also made to make necessary legal arrangements according to the committee's report.

Likewise, it has also been agreed to arrange for the promotion to a special category of the secondary level after ten years of service in the first category, develop early childhood development education as a foundation of education and include early childhood development supporting workers in the social security fund, and to arrange for managing the quota and posts of teachers according to the local needs, thematic arrangements, student quantity and student reach.

With the agreement, the teachers’ protest program has also ended. Communications Minister Rekha Sharma said that according to the agreement, the teachers' protest will be withdrawn from tomorrow. The teachers started their protests on September 20 led by CNT by putting forward an 18-point demand.

However, relief teachers have expressed their dissatisfaction regarding the agreement between CNT and the government, after their demands were not addressed. Nepal Relief Teachers Association Central Committee Chairperson Khemraj Adhikari expressed his anger that their demands were not addressed in the agreement made on Friday. With that, the General Secretary of the Nepal Relief Teachers Association Kumar Bajgain told that they will separate from CNT and 40,000 relief teachers will resign and jointly protest in Maitighar Mandala.