Kathmandu, May 18:

All private and government schools in the country remained closed on the second day of the indefinite strike called by the teachers’ and students’ unions affiliated with the Maoists today.

The agitating unions rejected to sit for talks called by the government saying they would sit for minister-level talks only.

The government had formed a three-member team headed by Laba Prasad Tripathi, spokesperson of the Ministry of Education and Sports, and asked the agitators to sit for talks at 11 am today.

The agitators staged a sit-in in front of the prime minister’s residence, Baluwatar from 11:30 - 3:30. They also submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister office. “We could not meet the PM,” said Bhim Chhetri, general secretary of the Educational Republic Forum (ERF).

He said they would not call off the strike unless their demands are met. “We came to know that a few schools are running in the Valley. We will start monitoring them and take action against them if need be,” he said.

Meanwhile, the All Nepal National Independent Students Union (ANNISU) in a statement said the ongoing strike would not end till it yields substantial results.

The ERF meeting held in the evening also extended its solidarity with the chakka jam announced by the student union. The union will organise a chakka jam at Ratnapark at 3 pm tomorrow for an hour.

A report from Biratnagar said the management committees of over 40 government schools in Biratnagar sub-metropolitan city handed over keys of the schools to the government through the Morang District Education Office (DEO). The closure of the schools has affected 15,000 students. The school management agitation committee said it will not take back the keys until its demands are met. District education officer Arjun Niraula said he has informed the ministry about the matter.

The school management agitation committee said it will not accept the keys until its demands are met. President of the agitation committee, Madan Shrestha, accused the government of not being serious about solving their problems. Meanwhile, a report from Kathmandu said the National Coalition for Children as Zones of Peace has expressed its concern about violation of rights of more than seven million children to attend schools.

The closure of over 36,000 schools has violated children’s rights to education, said a statement issued here today.

Meanwhile, a report from Dhading said the Nepal Teachers’ Union has condemned the manhandling of Laxman Khatiwada, president of the Nepal Teachers’ Union-Dhading branch, on the school premises. It also demanded legal action those guilty of assaulting the teachers. The Maoist cadres also roughed up Laxman Sharma, headmaster of Satyabati Higher Secondary School at Dhading’s Kumpur VDC-6 Adamtar, including others in the school this afternoon claiming that he defied the bandh programme organised by the Educational Republican Front.