Kathmandu: More than one hundred thousand teachers teaching in state-owned schools, also called public schools, are protesting against the government for the past 20 days in Kathmandu. The Nepal Teachers’ Federation—the umbrella organization of teachers affiliated with teachers associations affiliated to different political parties—has said that the protest is meant for pressuring the government to fast-track the process of promulgating the new Education Act, that would displace the education law that dates back to late 1960s. As the government is responding to the federation’s demand by saying that every effort is being made to bring out new education law on time, the battle appears to be about the education law—with agitating teachers appearing in its favor and the government standing affront to it.
Besides, public support for the agitating teachers is little, or none, despite the fact some of the demands raised by the Federation—such as perks and benefits in parity with the civil servants—are just and valid. Why so? The DMN News presents three reasons.
First, while in protest the teachers announced that they would not participate in any teaching-learning activities–correction of papers, grading students and promoting and facilitating new enrolment for new academic session that started early this week. Parents of public schools have no sympathy for the agitating teachers because while the classes for the kids going to private schools have already started, the children in public schools (who are mostly from the poorest of the poor and deprived communities) face uncertainty about when their classes will begin. Majority of public-school teachers do not educate their children in those schools and prefer to enroll them in private schools. Agitating teachers face a moral question: How can you put the future of poor children in the dark while you send your kids to private schools for education?
Second, the examination of students of grade XII scheduled from Thursday decides their future career path and university education. Agitating teachers have declared that they would not participate in that examination process, nor would they allow the exam to take place. This has turned parent community against the protesting teachers.
Third and most important, there is one demand that has almost defamed the cause of protest. The first point of demand put forth by Nepal Teachers’ Federation is about ensuring permanent status to the temporary teachers of various kinds, from early child development to high school, through the internal competition, barring the fresh university graduates to compete in those posts and keeping those posts reserved only for the in-service temporary teachers. It says the government should convert various types of temporary quotas into permanent ones and allow the teachers in those positions, without imposing any age limit, to compete among themselves and turn them permanent, and in case they cannot be made permanent, offer them golden handshake. Teacher Service Commission announces vacancy almost every year and recruits new teachers after rigorous competency tests. Experts say that such posts should be open to all for competition and only those who pass the competency tests should be recruited as permanent teachers, if we want to enhance the education quality of public schools.
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