Student unions demand fee waiver

KATHMANDU, June 7: Eleven student unions have issued a three-day ultimatum to private schools to withdraw the decision to charge fee to students for the month when the schools remained closed after the massive earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale on April 25.

"The private schools' move to charge fee for the time when guardians were struggling to get a roof over their heads in condemnable," Lal Bahadur Tamang, treasurer of ANNISUR.Likewise, the unions have also demanded that the government implement its earlier agreement. The Department of Education (DoE) had expressed its commitment to make the schools return the hiked fee to students in the beginning of the academic session. The private schools' decision to hike tuition fees from 25 to 40 percent in mid April had sparked outrage.

All Nepal National Free Student Union Spokesperson RC Lamichhane said, "At a time of crisis everyone should be helping each other but the private schools' decision to charge fee for the month in the immediate aftermath of earthquake is very inconsiderate."

Related story

Student unions protest at local bodies against fee hike