KATHMANDU, March 7: The agitating teachers who announced general strike in public schools across the nation on Tuesday have withdrawn their strike following widespread criticism for depriving the children from their right to education.

According to the Ministry of Education (MoEST), there are about 6 million students from grades 1 to 12 studying in 27,833 community schools in 753 local bodies across the country. The government spends over Rs 130 billion annually in public schools. According to the relief quota teachers' association, there are about 40,000 teachers under the relief quota teaching in the public schools while around 26,000 female teachers are involved in early childhood development (ECD) centers throughout the nation.

Issuing a statement signed by the chair Khem Raj Adhikari and general secretary Karna Bahadur Magar of the agitating teachers' association, it has decided to withdraw the strike in public schools. However, other protest programs will continue, it said. They marched in a protest rally from Maitighar to Baneshwar on Wednesday and staged sit-in protests on the street at Baneshwar.

Due to their involvement in Kathmandu-centered protests and agitation, the teaching learning process in community schools has been affected. The public school teachers hit the street from March 3 after the MoEST drafted the Federal Education Bill, proposing only 20 percent of relief quota and early childhood development (ECD) teachers to be appointed through internal competition to the permanent post.

Stakeholders and experts have criticized the agitation that discourages open competition but promotes appointing inferior quality teachers in government schools, which will further worsen the quality of education.

 
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