The All Nepal Independent Student Union-Revolutionary (ANNISU-R), student wing of UCPN (Maoist), has padlocked the account sections of over three dozen higher secondary schools (HSS) demanding completely free education for those selected to recieve scholarships.

The union has been protesting against the the schools that charged the students, who were selected under three percent full scholarship quota which is mandatory for all private Plus Twos, thousands of rupees. The union on Sunday padlocked the account sections of around 40 schools including Little Angles, VS Niketan, Everest, NIST, Pentagon, Mega and Kathmandu Model College. Though the HSS are supposed to provide free education as part of the scholarships for two years, many of them were found to have charged between Rs 12,000 and Rs 30,000 from the students.

“This is our first step. We will go for stern protests if the money charged from the students is not refunded,” said ANNISU-R Chairperson Himal Sharma.

The HSEB has also decided not to register students from schools that defied its direction.

The HSEB had selected around 2,200 students for scholarship on merit basis, prioritising those who belong to the marginalised, indigenous and dalit communities.

The private schools had agreed not to charge such students in a tripartite agreement reached between the representatives of the Higher Secondary Schools Association Nepal, the HSEB and the various students unions in July last year.  

source: the kathmandu post,4 aug 2014