First allow schools to run then talks possible: Education Minister

Pradeep Nepal, Minister for Education and Sports, has said that he will hold talks with the agitating teachers only after the latter first allow to run the schools.

One his return from Maldives, Nepal told media persons in the airport that no talks can be held when schools are being forced to shut down. He added that by refusing to talk with government team, the agitators had dishonored the whole government.

Nepal, however, appealed all agitating parties to come forward by ending strike in order to resolve the problem through negotiations. He said the Ministry was willing to talk over all educational issues with them.

Since last four days, around 7.8 million students studying in 35,500 public and private schools have been affected due to the closure. Formal talks between the government and the agitating teachers could not start as the latter have rejected talking with a team led by joint secretary.

Educational Republican Forum (ERF), an alliance of different teachers unions including the All Nepal Teachers Union (ANTU) and Institutional School Teachers Union (ISTU), said it would not talk to the committee led by Laba Tripathi, the spokesperson at the Education Ministry, as no solution would come out of negotiations with the ministry officials. Forum leaders said they wanted to talk with ministerial level team.

All Nepal National Independent Students Union (Revolutionary), the Maoists student wing, has also supported the teachers' strike.

The teachers launched their strike from Thursday saying that the government was passive to their demands which include payment to private school teachers in proportion with public school teachers' salary and appointment letters.