Rupandehi, May 9:

A special assembly of the Private and Boarding Schools’ Organisation of Nepal (PABSON) held in Butwal today concluded that the failure of the Rupandehi branch of the body to follow PABSON code of conduct was responsible for the recent fiasco witnessed at private educational schools across the district.

The crisis ensued after the Rupandehi branch decided to increase tution fees for academic year 2063BS by 20 per cent.

In the meet, school founders and principals emphasised the need to implement the code of conduct strictly.

Former Chairperson of PABSON, Rupandehi, Rajan KC, said that as small schools would not be able to increase the fees, the bigger schools should not take any step that forces the the former group to do so.

Founder of the Little Star Boarding School, Meghauliya, DB Thapa, said the schools in rural areas were opposed to the idea of hike in tution fees.

“The PABSON should backtrack from its stance as it is inappropriate to hike fees at this point in time,” Thapa said.

Representative of the Manakamana Boarding School, Bhairahawa, Jeevan Basnet, said the boarding schools would not be able to convince students, guardians and the civil society at large until the code of conduct was implemented in earnest.

Founders of Elite Boarding School, Moon Light Boarding School, Apex Boarding School and Minarwa Boarding School all agreed that the hike in fees would adversely affect 75 per cent of all schools.

Opposing PABSON’s decision to increase the fees, the Joint Students’ Struggle Committee had padlocked the offices of principals and account sections of some 15 schools yesterday.

PABSON, Rupandehi branch, had closed all private and boarding schools in the district today, expressing its disagreement with the committee’s steps.