Teachers have shut down all private schools in Chitwan since Wednesday. On Friday, teachers staged a sit-in at the District Education Office (DEO), leaving all 160 private schools shut for the third consecutive day. [break]
With almost 4,000 private school teachers refusing to work and pressing for a hike in their salaries, over 63,000 students have been deprived of their right to study. Teachers of community-managed schools also have thrown their weight behind the private school teachers and participated in the latter´s sit-in.
Parents -- obviously miffed at the indefinite strike -- have urged the agitating teachers to solve their problem through dailogue instead of forcing schools to shut. "We are tired of perennial and nonsensical strikes," says Bharan Rimal, a parent, adding, "When teachers themselves go on strike, who do our children expect good education from?"
Rajendra Neupane, President of the Parents´ Association, Chitwan, says: "May be what the teachers are pressing for is right. But, the way they choose to press their demands is absolutely wrong. They have harmed student interests."
The teachers say they have been forced to launch a strike since the school owners did not hike their salaries in spite of several past commitments and agreements. "Our salary scales were to be increased a month ago as per past agreements," says Keshab Raj Pathak, Chitwan President of the Institutional School Teachers´ Organization (ISTU), a pro-Maoist outfit. "However, even with the next academic session about to start, our salaries remain as they were."
Bel Bahadur Tamang, Chitwan district President of Private and Boarding Schools´ Organization of Nepal (PABSON), says that ISTU called a strike when preprations were going on for increasing the salary scales. "Although we had agreed to increase the salaries from last December, we were preparing to announce the hike from the very beginning of the next academic session. After all, the new fee structure will come into effect only from the next session," says Tamang. adding, "But the teachers did not trust us."
Private school teachers have demanded salaries on par with those of public school teachers. In public schools, teacher salaries ranges from Rs 13,000 to 18,000. But in private schools, most teachers do not get above Rs 8,000. "Only some teachers get maximum salaries of Rs 17,000," says Pathak. "Many teachers work for a monthly salary of Rs 3,500."
PABSON says it is not possible to hike private school teacher salaries to bring them up to par with public school teachers. "However, we are discussing how much we can increase the salaries for private school teachers," says Tamang.
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