Agitating teachers and private schools sign a deal

Agitating unions of teachers and students have signed a 19-point agreement with PABSON and N-PABSAN, thus ending the deadlock in the education sector.

The unions on Tuesday lifted the lock-out of administration and accounts sections of schools and agreed to let them operate smoothly from now onwards.

The deal was struck on Sunday between the Private and Boarding Schools' Organisation of Nepal (PABSON), National Private and Boarding School Association of Nepal (N-PABSAN), All Nepal National Independent Students' Union-Revolutionary (ANNISU-R), Nepal Education Republican Forum (NERF), Institutional School Teachers' Union-Nepal (ISTU-N) and Private School Teachers' Union (PSTU).

"As the education sector was affected due to the irresponsibility of the government, we felt the need to do something ourselves and sat for talks to iron out differences. We will jointly press the government in meeting our demands," a statement jointly issued by the six organisations here on Tuesday said.

The organisations have agreed that schools will not charge anything extra other than the fees set by the Education Act Regulation; not take re-admission fee or refund it if already taken; there should be at least 40 per cent female teachers in the pre-primary and primary levels and that students should not be compelled to buy stationery and other educational materials from the schools.

The statement said teachers, who had a hand in the agitation, would be allowed to work without prejudice and schools established without the permission of the government would be closed.

It said all schools should follow the agreement and all problems arising while implementing the agreement should be solved in the central or district levels.