Guardians on Tuesday had thwarted attempts by the Maoist-affiliated teachers´ body to padlock the school over alleged dismissal of teachers.
The teachers´ body announced closure of all private schools in Lalitpur district on Wednesday, protesting against the alleged dismissal. 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 the Institutional Schools Teachers´ Union (ISTU).
Organizing a news conference in the school, the guardians´ body alleged that the agitating teachers affiliated to Institutional Schools Teachers´ Union (ISTU) were putting the future of 1,200 children in darkness to meet their demands.
“Do sit for dialogue if you want to resolve your demands," said Kumar Pandey, general secretary of the Parents Council at St Xavier´s School. “We will agree whatever comes through dialogue with management. But we won´t allow the school to remain closed at any cost.”
He said that thousands of guardians of the school will do whatever it takes to run the school.
St. Xavier´s school management said that one Binayak Chhetri, who was an administration staff, was dismissed on disciplinary ground, while the action against teacher Sudhir Khanal is not yet finalized. The dismissal of Chhetri came after he refused to apologize over his wrongful acts, according to Father Lawrence at the school.
He said that service of two other teachers, who were serving in probation period, was not extended as their performance was unsatisfactory.
Fr. Lawrence said that the school has already fulfilled a 19-point demand teachers put forth earlier as per the provisions set in Education Regulations and Schools Regulations developed by Ministry of Education.
Addressing the news conference, President of National Private and Boarding School Organization of Nepal (N-PABSON) Gita Rana, senior Vice President of Private and Boarding Schools Organization of Nepal (PABSON) Laxya Bahadur KC, PABSON´s former President Umesh Shrestha, among others, urged the ISTU not to play with the future of small children. They also asked agitating ISTU to resolve their demand through negotiation.
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