The government and the agitating public school teachers reached a 9-point agreement on Wednesday, ending a 28-day protest centered in Kathmandu.
Following the deal, the Teachers' Federation instructed all agitating teachers to return to their respective schools and resume classes from Thursday, May 1.
Education, Science and Technology Minister Raghuji Pant announced that all teachers and school staff will now receive discounts for treatment at Civil Hospital in Kathmandu. Temporary teachers working under relief quotas, learning grants, technical streams, and special education will be eligible for sick leave, with lump-sum payment upon retirement.
Early childhood development facilitators and school employees will be paid according to the government scheme, and permanent teachers will have their grade levels aligned with the civil service grade system. Both permanent and temporary teachers will receive remote area allowances, and community school staff will be included in the Social Security Fund. Teachers will also be listed in the official government hierarchy. The agreement includes provisions to adjust the grades of first-class lower secondary and second-class secondary school teachers.
As per the agreement, teachers, security personnel, staff, and journalists injured during the protests will receive free medical treatment.
The agreement was endorsed by the Council of Ministers on Wednesday. Minister Pant thanked the teachers for agreeing to call off their protest and resume classes. He also expressed gratitude to all stakeholders involved in facilitating the deal.
Teachers' Federation Chairman Laxmi Kishor Subedi urged all teachers to return to classrooms and resume teaching, and also conduct examinations. He thanked the government, political parties, and the media for supporting the teachers' demands and stressed the importance of timely implementation of the agreement.
As per the deal, the new education bill will be passed by the federal parliament before mid-June. The agreement regarding the bill was also signed by chief whips of major political parties and the parliamentary committee on education, health, and IT.
Earlier, thousands of teachers from across the country had staged protests along the New Baneshwor–Babarmahal section in Kathmandu, demanding the introduction of a new National School Education Act. In the final days of the protest, clashes with security personnel left several people injured. -- RSS
