Bhairahawa, February 3

Teachers of community schools at Tilottama Municipality in Rupandehi district have launched protest expressing their dissatisfaction with the education regulation recently endorsed by the municipality in the district.

“As the regulation is against the sentiment, feelings and dignity of teachers, who have been contributing for years, we had no option other than launching protest,” said Head teacher Tanka Poudel of Yogikuti-based Janajagriti Secondary School. He said teachers of all the 46 community schools of the municipality had drawn the attention of Mayor  Basu Dev Ghimire, expressing their dissatisfaction with the new regulation.

The agitating teachers have been attending duty wearing black armbands for the past one week. “The process of forming school management committee is lengthy and it is likely to trigger conflict,” argued the teachers. The teachers complained that the municipality was taking arbitrary decisions regarding management of community schools ignoring the demands of teachers’ organisations.

Nepal Teachers’ Association Rupandehi chair and head teacher at Shanti Namuna Secondary School Kul Prasad Lamichhane complained that they were not ready to accept the school management committee, examination committee and municipal education committee formed by the municipality.

The agitating teachers have called an all-party meeting for February 10. “Head teachers, teachers, school management committees, political leaders and representatives of teachers’ organisations, among others, have been invited to the meeting,” added Lamichhane.

Meanwhile, Mayor Ghimire ruled out the possibility of amending the recently passed education regulation. “As we were preparing for the municipal meeting in a rush, there might be minor mistakes. However, all of us have to work together,” said Mayor Ghimire.