Private Schools to Run Classes during Educational Strike

Private Schools to Run Classes during Educational Strike

Private Schools to Run Classes during Educational Strike. Members of Private and Boarding Schools’ Organization Nepal (PABSON) decided to defy the three-day educational strike forwarded by the students’ wings of different fringe parties. The three-day strike was announced by the coalition of 8 student unions against the unfair hike in tuition fees in the private schools.

Rashtriya Janta Party-Nepal Student Union, Naya Shakti Student Union, All Nepal National Free Students Union (ANNFSU) (fifth), Federal Socialist Forum Nepal, Nationalist  Student Union with ANNFSU (Revolutionary) had called a three-day educational strike on July 4, 5 and 6, demanding that the private schools withdraw their decision to hike fees.

Supporting the private schools’ organization, District Administration Office advised not to halt teaching-learning activities except on public holidays. The DAO has also stated that receiving education in a peaceful environment is the right of every student and thus advised educational institutions to ignore such strikes.

Organizing a press meet, PABSON and N-PABSON have also urged the government to provide them security or take responsibility for any eventuality during the strike called by the student unions. N-PABSON president Rituraj Sapkota said, “We will run classes on the roads, but we will not close schools.” Sapkota also said that there was no point in tightening the noose on private schools as they were fully obeying with the Institutional Schools Fee Criteria Directives issued by the government.

“We are ready to face consequences if private schools have hiked fees unnecessarily,” he added.

As per the directives, the fee structure of private schools should be determined by holding a meeting with the school management, teachers, and guardians.

Any decision to hike fees must be approved by parents of two-thirds students studying in the school. The schools can also charge additional fees for food, transportation and hostel facility. Many guardians and educationists, however, have protested unfair fee hike by private schools. According to educationist Bidhya Nath Koirala, the criteria set by the government is totally unfair.

Director General of Department of Education Babu Ram Poudyal, on the other hand, said they did not have complete authority to monitor fee structures of private schools as the responsibility of regulating and managing school education had been handed over to local levels.

The soaring cost of private schools can be upsetting to the students who come from less privileged households and many guardians and educationists have also been protesting the unfair raise in fees. However, the private schools’ organization has come forward affirming they’re ready to face the costs for the hiked fees.

 

Reference: The Himalayan Times