Nepal National Teachers’ Organisation aligned to the CPN-UML today warned of a wave of protests, accusing the government of trying to curtail its political rights. Organising a press meet in Kathmandu, the new working committee, elected at the 11th National Convention of the NNTA, warned the government of stern protests if it continues to interfere with its political rights.

Newly-elected NNTO President, Babu Ram Thapa, alleged that the present apolitical government was trying to violate political rights that Article 30 of the Interim Constitution had guaranteed. “Thus all teachers need to unite and fight against the government bid,” he said.

Thapa stated that the education sector was languishing due to the ages-old education policies. He demanded that the government bring radical changes in the education sector for its development and effectiveness. He said, “Education system needs radical changes, not just amendments.” According to Thapa, the current examination system is ineffective in evaluating the students’ capabilities. So, the examination system also needs to be reformed to bring improvement in results, he said.

“The government has been blaming the teachers for poor result, but the reality is that the state’s education policy is too weak to respond to new challenges,” he said. Thapa argued that teachers could do little amidst a plethora of problems like budget constraints, adequate infrastructure of schools and lack of teachers. He said education should be free and compulsory. “Government cannot curb teachers’ political rights,” he said, calling on teachers not to get involved in political activities during school hours.

source: the himalayan times,16June 2013