Kathmandu, May 25:

Small and Medium Private School Struggle Coordination Committee (SMPSSCC) today threatened to launch an agitation if its demands are not met. The SMPSSCC also demanded that the schools be reopened at the earliest.

Among other things, the SMPSSCC — a new teachers’ body — has sought loans for internal and external development of infrastructure of schools and inclusion of a representative of small and medium schools during talks to be held between the government and the agitating parties that have been effecting a nationwide school closure. Speaking at a press meet, Arjun Bahadur Adhikary, adviser to the National Private and Boarding School Association of Nepal, said, “Over 90 per cent of private and boarding schools are small and medium schools.”

The agitating parties should not continue with the school closure, thereby putting the future of 7.8 million students in jeopardy, he said.

The agitating groups may have problems with schools that charge hefty fees, he said. “The refusal of management of schools to raise salaries of the teachers might have sparked the school closure nationwide,” he said. “The protest of agitating teachers should be limited to certain areas. It should not lead to disruption of classes in small and medium schools.” Kedar Pudashaini, coordinator of the Private and Boarding School Organisation (PABSON), said, “The closure of schools will affect students and render thousands of people jobless.”

He appealed to the agitating groups to reopen the schools.

Bed Prasad Pant, coordinator of the Education Development Centre, said, “We have put forth demands. While some of the demands must be met immediately, others can wait.” Demands of teachers can be addressed through talks with the management of schools, he said.