Panchthar, November 16

Teachers in Panchthar halted their regular classes in order to participate in a demonstration in the district headquarters today.

Responding to the call of Nepal Teachers’ Federation, around 500 teachers participated in a sit-in-cum demonstration in front of the District Education and Coordination Unit of Panchthar, putting forward a number of demands. The sit-in lasted from 10:00am to 2:00pm.

Among the demands were to grant permanent status to all teachers working for more than 10 years, award permanent positions to all relief quota teachers, and make Teachers’ Service Commission a constitutional body.

Panchthar chair of Nepal Teachers’ Federation Manarath Chapagain said they were compelled to launch agitation as the government ignored its earlier promises and agreements. “As the government has been apathetic towards implementing past agreements with professional organisations, we had no option but to resort to protest,” he said.

“From every school, up to three teachers halted their regular classes and went to take part in the demonstration, which is unfortunate,” lamented a local guardian.

The teachers, who had earlier launched agitation at the local level and today staged sit-in in front of the education, development and coordination units of all 77 districts across the country at the call of Teachers’ Federation’s central programme, will stage sit-in in front of  the ministry of social development of all seven provinces on November 25.

Such sit-in was also staged in front of the District Education Coordination Unit in Dhankuta today. They also sent a 26-point memorandum to the prime minister through the unit chief.