EPRC has formed a separate three-member task force under the chair of Suprabhat Bhandari, President of Guardians Association of Nepal (GAN), to make a detailed study about the demands put forth by the agitating teachers and efforts made by management at St Xavier´s to address them.
The two other members of the task force are Lalitpur District Chapter President of Private and Boarding Schools Association of Nepal (PABSON) Indra Bahadur Gurung and administrative officer at District Education Office, Lalitpur, Harihar Dahal. The task force is expected to submit its report by June 8.
“The Education Problems Resolution Committee will study the task force report and recommend measures to resolve the ongoing stand-off between the teachers and management,” said GAN President Bhandari. “Both agitating teachers and the school management have agreed to abide by the decision taken by the Committee.”
The Committee comprises representatives of the agitating Institutional School Teachers Union (ISTU), PABSON, GAN, the Higher Secondary Schools Association of Nepal (HISSAN), St Xavier School Management Committee and the Parents´ Council at St Xavier´s, among others.
ISTU President Home Kumar Thapa said there has been agreement to suspend action by the school against the dismissed staff. “We have withdrawn all our protest programs for now keeping in view the future of the children,” he said.
The agitating ISTU had announced it was to padlock St Xavier´s School on Tuesday, alleging that the school management dismissed staff including Binayak Chhetri and Sudhir Khanal. However, the guardians had thwarted the attempt by the Maoist-affiliated teachers´ body to carry out the padlocking.
Over 1,200 children are currently studying at St Xavier´s School, Jawalakhel.
The teachers´ body announced closure of all private schools in Lalitpur district on Wednesday, protesting the dismissals. Likewise, both private and public schools in Lalitpur and all private schools in Kathmandu and Bhaktapur districts remained closed on Thursday at the call of ISTU.
St. Xavier´s School management said Chhetri, an administration staffer, was dismissed on disciplinary grounds, while the action against teacher Khanal has not yet been finalized. The dismissal of Chhetri came after he refused to apologize for wrongful acts, according to Father Lawrence of the school.
Father Lawrence said that the service of two other teachers, who were serving a probation period, was not extended as their performance was not satisfactory.
koshraj@myrepublica.com
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