All Nepal Teachers Organization (ANTO), which is affiliated to the UCPN (Maoist), organized its Chitwan-district convention by closing down all public and private schools. The decision to shut schools was taken on September 6 by all the seven teacher unions active in Chitwan. [break]
Despite widespread criticism from human rights organization, parents´ associations and student unions, ANTO refused to postpone or reschedule its convention to coincide with a public holiday. At the opening ceremony of the convention, the ANTO´s act was criticized by representatives of even those teacher unions that had consented to the closure of schools.
“We´re always against organizing such programs by closing schools,” said Mahendra Poudel, Chitwan district president of Nepal Teachers´ Union (NTU) that is close to the Nepali Congress. “We had asked the ANTO to organize the convention on some public holiday. But, we had to give our consent after the ANTO refused to reschedule its convention citing tight schedule of the Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal.”
Dahal was the chief guest at the inauguration of the convention.
“The closing of schools for organizing a union´s convention has set a wrong precedent,” said Pushpa Raj Sharma, chairman of Parents´ Association, Chitwan. “Other unions will also close down schools for their programs in future.”
However, Purna Prasad Dawadi, Chitwan chapter president of the ANTO, tried to defend the act by saying that they would open schools for one more day during the summer vacation next year. “We decided to close schools by expressing our commitment to reduce summer vacation by one day,” said Dawadi.
“But our decision was unnecessarily criticized as some people tried to blow things out of proportion.”
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