Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, March 19:

The newly-elected teachers’ union has stated that it would work to make sure that the democratic rights of teachers and students are upheld in schools. “In order to ensure freedom, justice, peace, equality and solidarity, the body would advocate for democracy in schools,” said Keshab Prasad Bhattarai, president, Nepal Teachers’ Union, during a press conference organised here today. “The union will make sure that neither the students nor the teachers are denied their democratic rights.” The first national convention of the Nepal Teachers’ Union, which was held on March 17 and 18, elected Keshab Prasad Bhattarai, president of the Nepal Teachers Association, as its president.

The central committee of the teachers’ union has four vice-presidents, a general secretary, two secretaries, 14 members, and a treasurer. The Nepal Teachers’ Association, Nepal National Teachers’ Association, Nepal National Teachers’ Council and the Nepal Teachers’ Forum, have their representatives in the Nepal Teachers’ Union. Since the education sector cannot be developed unless the rights of all the stakeholders are ensured, the committee would work towards ensuring their involvement in drafting educational policies, planning programmes and implementing them, the newly-formed committee stated. The committee stated that the NTU will mobilise its member bodies in each district, region and village for making various programmes, including Education for All, poverty alleviation and elimination of child labour, successful. The committee said that it will join hands with the government and the civic society to achieve the goals set by the government. The NTU will fight against the commercialisation of education and will join hands to provide modern education. It will also work towards solving the temporary teachers’ problem, which has been pending for so many years.