Kathmandu, May 16:

The students and teachers’ wings of the CPN (Maoist) today announced an indefinite strike in schools up to XII grade throughout the nation.

At a joint press conference today, presidents of All Nepal National Independent Students Union-Revolutionary (ANNISU-R) and All Nepal Teachers Association (ANTA) said they were forced to take this harsh decision as the education minister remained indifferent to their demands for long.

However, the ongoing examinations of grade XI will not be hampered.

“As part of the strike, an hour-long chakka jam will be organised at Ratnapark on Saturday afternoon. An interaction will be organised with all stakeholders on the same day,” ANNISU-R president Lekhnath Neupane said at the joint press conference.

All the regional education directorates will be padlocked from Sunday, all district education offices will be padlocked from May 21 and the Department of Education and Higher Secondary Education Council will be padlocked from May 22, he said.

He gave an ultimatum to the government to meet its demands within a week.

A report from Chitwan said the Nepal Educational Republic Forum (NERF) padlocked and staged a sit-in at District Education Offices nationwide saying their demands were not met.

A report from Bara said that the Temporary Teachers’ Struggle Committee (TTSC), Private Schools’ Teachers’ Union and School Employees’ Council padlocked the Bara DEO.

In Ramechhap, the teachers affiliated NERF Ramechhap padlocked the DEO there. A report from Itahari said NERF Sunsari padlocked the Sunsari DEO.

In Charikot, teachers affiliated to ANTA and TTSC padlocked the Dolkha DEO.

A report from Gaighat said the members of NERF padlocked the Udaypur DEO.

Tripathy’s appeal

KATHMANDU: Laba Prasad Tripathy, spokesperson, Ministry of Education and Sports, on Wednesday called on all agitating parties for talks by postponing the school closure programme. Speaking at an interaction, he said: “I call upon Nepal Educational Republic Forum, Institutional Schools’ Teachers Union, PABSON, the NPABSAN and other agitating parties to come to talk by suspending protests.”

PABSON president Umesh Shrestha, said parties put pressure on them by forwarding demands. National Human Rights Foundation also asked agitating parties to sit for talks. — HNS