• SCHOOL EDUCATION BILL
KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER
The National Human Rights Commission has issued a press release saying its serious attention has been drawn to the ongoing protest by Nepal Teachers Federation against some provisions of the School Education Bill registered in the Parliament.
Teachers marched through the streets around Maitighar Mandala and Baneshwor causing vehicles to take a long detour.
The rights body said it was doing onsite monitoring of the protests.
Although the teachers' protest for their career development and institutional interests can be termed in consonance with their human rights, shutting schools indefinitely cannot be termed appropriate as it violates children's rights to obtain education peacefully, the NHRC said in its press release. It said that teachers' protests had adversely impacted schools that have been declared peace zone.
The NHRC reminded the protesters that children's right to education was ensured by Article 28 and 29 of Child Rights Convention, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, International Convention on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Article 31 of the constitution, and the Act relating to Children. It said that shutting schools infringed on children's rights guaranteed by national and international laws.
The NHRC reminded protesting teachers to be mindful of children's rights while struggling for their own rights. It urged the teachers to find a negotiated settlement of their grievances. The NHRC also urged the government to pay heed to the just demands of protesting teachers.
Teachers' protests have led to closure of 27,000 community schools in the country.
Nepal Teachers Federation said that the new School Education Bill was flawed as it gave unlimited powers to the local governments with regard to appointment, promotion and transfer of teachers, which could be easily misused to punish teachers for their political views.
They have also said that the bill intended to take away their trade union rights.
Meanwhile, representatives of the protesting teachers sat for dialogue with the government.
Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha, Minister of Education, Science and Technology and other ministers are representing the government.
CPN-UML leaders met minister of Education, Science and Technology and demanded that the just demands of Nepal Teaches' Federation be addressed and conducive environment be created to open schools from tomorrow, according to UML Whip Mahesh Bartaula. He said his party lawmakers told the minister that the government appeared to be not taking any responsibility in matters of school education and that was not right. He said the government should have brought a federal education bill detailing the roles and responsibilities of all three tiers of the government.
A version of this article appears in the print on September 22, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
