Nepal School Employees' Union (NSEU) today staged a sit-in outside the southern gate of Singha Durbar demanding the implementation of a Supreme Court (SC) decision that seeks end to all kinds of discrimination between teachers and non-teaching staff of community schools.

The non-teaching staff staged a rally from Shantibatika at 10 am before staging a sit-in in front of Singha Durbar, the government secretariat. Yesterday, they had gheraoed the official residence of Chairman of the interim election government, Khil Raj Regmi, as part of their first phase protest programme. Kamal Prasad Khatiwada, NSEU general secretary, said unlike non-teaching staff, schoolteachers have been enjoying pension, medical support, extra holidays and other emoluments.

According to Khatiwada, the SC had directed the government to introduce a law governing facilities for non-teaching staff within six months on February 6, 2011, but in vain. The government has been pledging to address non-teaching staff’s demands by amending the Education Act. With the Act in limbo, non-teaching staff said they had no option but to hit the streets to draw the government’s attention. NSEU is also organising a hunger strike from 9 am to 6 pm from tomorrow till July 4 at Shantibatika. Khatiwada warned of a decisive protest if the government does not heed the agitators’ concerns. According to a rough estimate, there are more than 20,000 non-teaching staff in community schools across the country.

source: the himalayan times,1 July 2013