Teachers stage sit-in seeking salary

HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE

KATHMANDU: Teachers working in government schools under the Per Child Funding (PCF) scheme staged a sit-in before the Ministry of Education today demanding salary.

Police lathicharged around 500 teachers who had gathered at Kesharmahal tried to prevent officials from entering the ministry.

A police official said they used minor force to clear the gate of the ministry.

Arun Kumar Singh, leader of the agitating teachers, said they were forced to

organise the sit-in after their ultimatum to Education Minister Dina Nath Sharma to release their salary expired.

The teachers have long been demanding separate quotas and facilities on a par with community school teachers. They have also sought salary hike and implementation of previous agreements.

Singh said dozens of teachers were seriously injured when police used force. He said at least 60 teachers were hurt “Police lathi-charged us. Some policemen even kicked us.”

Hridaya Narayan Yadav, Kamalesh Kushbaha, Chandrika Sah, Kalpana Kharel, Shanti Kumari Sharma, Deepak Kumar Mandal and Hari Govinda Bhandari were critically injured.

Sharma, a teacher from Sarlahi, has sustained injuries on the head. She has been referred to Nepal Medical College. Mandal and Bhandari, from Saptari, have been referred to other hospitals.

Nepal Educational Republic Forum and Temporary Teachers Central Struggle Committee today condemned police intervention in the PCF teachers’ peaceful sit-in.

DSP Dhiraj Pratap Singh, spokesperson for Kathmandu Metropolitan Police Range, rubbished allegations that police used unnecessary force. He said they had used ‘minor’ force to clear the way for MoE employees. No one was arrested, he said.

Meanwhile, the central committee meeting of PCF Teachers Struggle Committee today decided to continue their sit-in to protest police intervention in their peaceful protest.