Despite Private And Boarding Schools´ Organization of Nepal´s (PABSON) initiatives for forming a team to hold dialogue with ANNISU-R, talks with the union seem uncertain. [break]
On Monday, ANNISU-R President Lekh Nath Neupane ruled out possibilities of talks with PABSON until the latter withdraws its fee hike decision. The schools have increased tuition fees by up to 25 percent on average.
"Our strike is a reaction to the action (the fee hike decision)," Neupane said at an interaction. "The moment PABSON retracts its decision; we will also withdraw our strike." Neupane said that ANNISU-R is not ready to sit for talks just for opening schools. "But we are always ready for talks held for genuinely resolving problems."
PABSON President Rajesh Khadka hinted at protraction of schools closure. "We may take a few more days for opening schools because the agitating union has not shown flexibility and the government has shown its sheer apathy," Khadka told Republica. "The indefinite general strike called by the Maoists has further made the opening of schools uncertain."
Meanwhile, ANNISU-R cadres Monday vandalized four schools in Kanchanpur for ´defying their strike´. Over 8,000 private schools across the country remain shut from Sunday and around 1.5 million students are affected.
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