Biratnagar, December 31:

Claiming that the deteriorating academic environment is creating chaos in schools, teachers today shut down three dozen government-run schools here.

A meeting of the Biratnagar-based government schools’ headmasters and members of schools’ management committees yesterday had decided to close the schools for three days as a protest against the deteriorating academic environment and the indifference shown by the authority concerned to improve the academic situation here.

The teachers’ meeting had also warned that if problems ailing the education sector in the region were not solved within three days, the schools would be shut for an indefinite period.

“Demanding free school education, some students vandalised the Morang District Education Office (DEO) on Thursday, misbehaved in different schools, forced the bazaar to close down

and misbehaved with journalists also. So, we were compelled to take this decision as a mark of protest,” said Dilli Pokharel, chairman of the Morang Nepal Teachers’ Union.

“The lives of students and teachers are insecure owing to chaotic activities in schools,” a statement issued after the meeting said.

Employees in the Morang DEO asked the government to provide them security, saying daily work has been affected after some forces vandalised the DEO on Thursday.

Issuing a statement yesterday, the DEO workers said: “Even after Thursday’s vandalism the workers attended the regular duty but they again vandalised the DEO on Friday. So, we are feeling insecure.” The statement urged the authority concerned to create a peaceful environment.

The employees’ meeting also appealed to the civil society, students, guardians and political parties to create a favourable situation and start the academic process in the schools.

Morang District Education Officer, Modraj Dotel, said: “The administration is doing the necessary work to solve the problem. The incident is condemnable and the culprits should be punished.”

Meanwhile, school students, placing several demands, are on strike for the past three days under the leadership of the All Nepal National Independent Students’ Union-Revolutionary.