KATHMANDU: The Children as Zone of Peace (CZOP)-National Campaign has called on protesting teachers and school staff to reconsider the nature of their ongoing movement, urging them to be mindful of the rights of students and the impact on the academic calendar.
The Nepal Teachers’ Federation has been staging protests in Kathmandu since April 2, demanding, among other issues, the immediate passage of the School Education Bill, 2081. However, the prolonged agitation has disrupted community school admissions, the evaluation of SEE answer sheets, and preparations for Grade 12 exams.
“Your demands are legitimate, and we support your right to raise them,” said CZOP General Secretary Tilottam Paudel. “But even if the protest continues, it must change in form. Find alternatives that do not obstruct basic education activities such as admissions, exam evaluations, and result publications.”
Paudel stressed that children’s constitutional right to education, as enshrined in Article 31 of the Constitution, must be upheld. According to the National Census 2021, children make up 34.84 percent of Nepal’s population.
Meanwhile, government efforts to address the situation have been thrown into uncertainty following the resignation of Education Minister Bidya Bhattarai. Before the resignation, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Speaker Devraj Ghimire had held separate discussions with federation representatives, signaling a willingness to resolve key demands.
The government had decided to call a session of the Federal Parliament on April 25 to facilitate the passage of the School Education Bill. Legislative preparations are underway to table the bill, currently being reviewed in a parliamentary committee, by the third week of Baisakh.
The Council of Ministers has urged teachers to return to classrooms and support ongoing academic processes, emphasizing that dialogue with the federation remains open and the government is committed to finding appropriate solutions.
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