KATHMANDU: Teachers who have been staging a sit-in protest in Kathmandu for the past 21 days have announced a boycott of the nationwide Grade 12 examination, scheduled to begin on April 24.
The Nepal Teachers’ Federation declared that neither teachers nor principals will participate in any exam-related responsibilities, even if the government proceeds by deploying administrative staff. The decision comes in response to what the Federation has described as the government’s failure to initiate meaningful dialogue to resolve the ongoing dispute.
“The government is trying to conduct the exam by deploying staff without addressing our concerns,” said Federation President Laxmi Kishore Subedi. “But even if the exams go ahead, teachers and principals will not be involved.”
In a joint statement, Federation President Subedi and General Secretary Tula Bahadur Thapa urged teachers across the country to refrain from participating in any academic duties during the protest period — including answer sheet checking, results publication, entrance exams, student admissions, training programs, and seminars.
The protest is centered on the teachers’ demand for the immediate passage of the long-awaited Education Act, currently under consideration in Parliament. Despite the government’s announcement that the Act will be tabled during the upcoming budget session starting April 11, the Federation remains unconvinced, citing repeated delays and a lack of commitment.
Amid the escalating protest, Education Minister Bidya Bhattarai resigned from her post on Monday, citing a lack of cooperation from Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Deputy Prime Minister Bishnu Poudel in addressing the teachers’ demands.
With no resolution in sight, the nationwide Grade 12 examination faces serious disruption as the standoff between teachers and the government continues.
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