All Nepal Teachers’ Association (ANTA) today organised an interaction to highlight problems of teachers and employees associated with institutional schools.

The teachers and staffers aligned with the UCPN-Maoist wing aired their problems in the presence of Maoist Spokesman Agni Sapkota, Chairman of Higher Secondary School’s Association-Nepal, Umesh Shrestha, Chairman of Private and Boarding Schools’ Organisation Nepal, Babu Ram Pokhrel, Chairwoman of National Private and Boarding Schools’ Organisation of Nepal Gita Rana, Nepal Guardians’ Association Spokesman Subash Bhandari and Kathmandu University Dean Tanka Nath Sharma. ANTA’s long-term aim is to turn private schools, which are running as cooperatives or trusts, into community schools. The teachers’ body calls for free education up to standard XII.

According to ANTA, most institutional schools do not issue appointment letters while hiring teachers.

They hire and fire teachers without following due procedures. On the other hand, a section of government teachers are not getting salary and allowances as per existing laws. In many cases, school authorities hire near and dear ones even if they are not qualified, without announcing vacancies.

“Learning from private schools, we should improve the quality of education at government schools. This will encourage guardians to send their children to public schools,” KU Dean Sharma said. “There’s a need to make changes in education policies in line with requirements of a country. These policies should ensure economic development,” Sapkota said. Spokesman at the Ministry of Education, Mahashram Sharma, stressed the need to run existing schools well rather than opening new ones.

Central adviser to ANTA, Madhav Maratha, said, “We should go for quality education as education is not a commodity that is bought and sold.”

N-PABSON Chair Rana said, “Private schools are not just collecting exorbitant fees from students. They are also providing handsome salary to teachers so as to motivate them to provide quality education to students.” PABSON Chairman Pokhrel said, “ANTA has brought crucial issues to light at a time when the country is gearing up for Constituent Assembly polls. We have our branches in 70 districts and a variety of scholarship schemes. It’s okay if government schools perform better causing the shutdown of private schools. But the government should not hesitate to make investment for improving the quality of education in government institutions.”

HISSAN Chairman Shrestha said, “Unless there is political stability, we cannot bring the education sector on track. The government should regulate private education and private educational institutions should zero in on quality education as well as job opportunity.”

source: the himalayan times,24 august 2013