Kathmandu, 29 April: Lawmakers have stressed that the government should be sensitive towards the demands of agitating teachers, urging them to seek a solution through dialogue and consensus.
Speaking in a special hour of the meeting of the House of Representatives on Tuesday, Sushila Thing urged the government to be sensitive towards teachers’ agitation. She criticized the incident that took place on April 27, where police charged with batons and used canons on agitating teachers on April 27.
Thing said, ‘The teachers have been facing injustice. The government is the guardian of all. So it is necessary to focus their attention on resolving the problems, suggesting that the teachers give up their stance of not returning to school until the new education act is enacted.’
Pointing out the need for an amendment to the Education Act, Thakur Gaire urged to find an outlet through dialogue as the problem would not be resolved by inviting a clash between security personnel and teachers.
He shared that the school education bill is now at the Education, Health and Information Technology Committee under the House of Representatives for discussion. ‘Opposition parties have equal responsibility to address the genuine demands of teachers, ‘ said Gaire.
Gaire stressed that the government’s policy and program should be designed to achieve sustainable development goals, making the decade of 2080 the decade of prosperity and fulfilling the expectation of social justice and development.
The teachers’ strike in Nepal commenced on April 2, 2025, when educators began protesting to demand the enactment of the long-delayed School Education Act. The strike intensified on April 7, escalating into a nationwide shutdown of public schools. As of today, April 29, 2025, the strike has been ongoing for 27 days, marking nearly four weeks of continuous disruption in the country’s education sector .
The protest, led by the Nepal Teachers’ Federation, has mobilized over 230,000 teachers and impacted approximately 6 million students across the nation. Teachers are advocating for legislative reforms that ensure job security, equitable wages, and improved working conditions. Despite multiple rounds of discussions with government officials, including Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Speaker Devraj Ghimire, no concrete agreement has been reached, and the strike persists .
The Supreme Court of Nepal intervened on April 25, ordering the government to create an environment for teachers to return to their duties within three days, emphasizing the students’ right to education . However, as of now, the strike continues, and negotiations remain inconclusive.
The prolonged strike has raised concerns about the academic future of students, particularly those preparing for crucial examinations. The National Examination Board has expressed apprehension over potential delays in the Grade 12 exams, which could affect students’ admissions to higher education institutions .
