Although All Nepal Teachers´ Organization (ANTO) said no untoward incident was reported during the strike, about half a dozen of hooligans stormed into Gillette Higher Secondary School at Kalimati while students were appearing in pre-test exams. The hooligans waving red flags vandalized wind-shields of a bus, a computer and at least three window-panes of the school.
“They tore apart question papers distributed to the students,” Pooja Lama, an employee of the school, told Republica. “We, however, could not figure out whether they were really teachers.” The gang also threatened the teachers and employees for holding exams by defying the strike call.
However, Gunaraj Lohani, president of ANTO, said he was unaware of the attack on the school. “We have not vandalized any school,” he told Republica. “Some non-political elements might have done so with ulterior motives of tarnishing our party and organization´s images.”
Due to ANTO´s nationwide strike, all primary, secondary and higher schools across the country remained shut. The strike also disrupted the half-yearly and pre-test exams in many schools.
Among others, the ANTO has been demanding restoration of civilian supremacy and cancellation of the Company Act to govern the schools. “Our education system has been marred with a hell lot of problems,” ANTO´s vice president Lal Bahadur BC said. “Our strike is against all ills in the education sector.”
Meanwhile, ANTO-aligned teachers on Monday rallied in Kathmandu to pile pressure on the government to meet their demands at the earliest.
ANTO has warned of strong protests if the government turned a deaf ear to it demands. “We have no immediate protest programs,” BC said. “We will announce second phase of agitation after our central committee meets within a few days.”
Meanwhile RSS reported that the educational institutions closure called by All Nepal Teachers Association close to Unified CPN (Maoist) causes school level and higher secondary level classes came to halt in the country. The strike also affected the ongoing half-yearly exams in some of the schools.
The association called the strike demanding civilian supremacy including various demands concerned to teachers, relief quota teachers, including temporary teachers and private school teachers.
Chairman of the association Guna Raj Lohani said the association called school and higher secondary level closure, however, no strike on the campus level.
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