Kathmandu, September 10, 2005

The Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) has issued a notice to all the five Regional Education Directorates (RED) to terminate services of all non-Nepali public school teachers who have been teaching here since 1992.The notices have been issued according to the government’s recent decision that requires public schools’ teachers to have compulsory teacher’s licence. “The MoES issued notice this week to all the five REDs to fire all non-Nepali teachers who have joined after 1992. Non-Nepali teachers who have been teaching since before 1992 are to be kept by providing them with temporary teacher’s licence,” said Ram Prasad Basyal, the chief of the School Administration Unit at MoES. Upon implementation of the notice, schools in the Terai belt and eastern hill districts will face shortage of teachers as schools there rely on teachers from India for subjects like English, mathematics and science. It is estimated that services of around 10,000 teachers will be terminated by this new rule and only around 2,000 teachers will be eligible for the temporary teacher’s licence. The government decision was taken according to the Education Regulation of 1992, under which non-Nepalis will not be given appointment to teach in the country, and the government will not hire teachers who do not hold the teaching licence from the Teachers’ Service Commission (TSC).

Civil society urges Maoists to uphold truce

Nepalgunj, September 10, 2005

The representatives of civil society have appealed to the Maoists not to walk away on any condition from their commitment to the ceasefire. For the restoration of democracy and to guarantee the fundamental rights of people, the Maoists should not suspend their initiative for peace even in the most trying conditions, civil society members said during a meet in Nepalgunj today. Speakers at the meet expressed their surprise at the government’s indifference to the Maoists’ initiative for peace. Addressing the mass meet, Dr Mathura Shrestha said the government was working towards ending the ceasefire. Instead of announcing truce, the government is creating obstacles to peace, he said, accusing both the King and his government of hindering the peace process. President of Nepal Bar Association Sambhu Thapa said the government seemed intent on making the ceasefire a failure. “I would like to request the Maoists not to walk away from the ceasefire, no matter how difficult the situation is,” Thapa added. “As long as there is the institution of monarchy in Nepal, peace will remain elusive,” Rights activist Krishna Pahadi said.