KATHMANDU, April 25: The Supreme Court (SC) has issued an interim order to immediately remove the disruption in students' education across the country caused by the teachers' protest and to address the legitimate demands of the protesting teachers.
On Thursday, a single bench of Justice Dr Nahkul Subedi issued the order, stating that the teachers' protest had violated the students' right to education and instructed that an environment be created within three days to bring the teachers back to the classrooms.
The apex court has ordered the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, along with other concerned authorities, to address the constitutionally valid demands of the protesting teachers and to ensure regular teaching and learning activities.
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Additionally, the court has directed that the results of the Secondary Education Examination (SEE) be published on time and that the Grade XII Board exams be conducted as scheduled.
“The future of millions of students has been pushed into uncertainty due to the protest. The right to education for children is a fundamental human right and it is the state's responsibility to ensure it,” the order states.
While hearing a writ petition filed by advocate Shrawan Kumar Chaudhary and others, the apex court expressed serious concern over the impact of the teachers' protest on the Grade XII examinations and the SEE results.
Public school teachers have been staging protests in Kathmandu for over three weeks, demanding the swift passage of the School Education Bill. The Nepal Teachers Association (NTA) initiated the movement and escalated it to a nationwide educational strike. Teachers from across the country have gathered in Kathmandu, urging the government to enact a School Education Act that addresses their concerns and implements previous agreements.
The primary demand is the endorsement of the School Education Bill, which has been pending in Parliament for over a year and a half. Teachers argue that the Bill, as currently drafted, does not adequately address issues such as teacher management and the decentralization of education responsibilities. They fear that local governments may politicize education, leading to biased treatment of teachers based on political affiliations.
The government has invited teachers for dialogue, but the NTA has refused to engage in talks until their demands are met. Teachers have announced that they will not participate in activities like evaluating answer sheets, publishing results, or conducting Grade XII examinations during the protest period .
In response to the ongoing protests, the government has convened a parliamentary session on April 25 to address the demands of the protesting teachers and pass the School Education Bill. The protests have garnered widespread public support, including from civil servant organizations, and have significantly impacted the education sector in the country.
