Daijiworld Media Network - Kathmandu

Kathmandu, Apr 20: Thousands of teachers in Nepal continued their protests in Kathmandu on Sunday, demanding immediate endorsement of the School Education Bill, despite recent assurances from Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli and Speaker of the House of Representatives Devraj Ghimire.

The Nepal Teachers' Federation, which has been leading the agitation since April 2, said it would not withdraw the protest until concrete steps are taken. While meetings with the Prime Minister and the Speaker were termed ‘positive,’ the federation maintained its symbolic protest on Sunday, with plans to decide further actions soon.

The government has called a parliamentary session on April 25 to discuss the bill. PM Oli urged teachers to end the agitation, assuring them that the government is committed to resolving the issue. Speaker Ghimire also promised to fast-track the bill once tabled.

However, the federation blamed bureaucratic misrepresentation for the delay, alleging that officials exaggerated the cost of implementing their demands. “Contrary to claims of Rs 200 billion, the actual cost is around Rs 13 billion,” a federation leader stated.

The ongoing protests have disrupted the national student enrollment drive and delayed the evaluation of answer sheets from the recent Secondary Education Examination (SEE). The National Human Rights Commission has urged both sides to resolve the issue through dialogue.