KATHMANDU, April 30: The government and the agitating Nepal Teachers’ Association (NTA) have initiated what are being described as ‘decisive’ talks in an effort to resolve the ongoing dispute.
A delegation from the NTA arrived at the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology in Singha Durbar at around 8 PM on Tuesday to begin negotiations.
This development comes after the NTA had earlier rejected an invitation from the government for dialogue. However, in a meeting held throughout the day on Tuesday, the NTF decided to reconsider its protest strategy if the government fulfills key demands that can be addressed through a Cabinet decision.
The meeting further decided to simultaneously continue both protests and talks with the government. “The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology has prepared a nine-point draft agreement. If the Cabinet endorses it, we are ready to modify the form of our protest. A decision has also been made to continue the dialogue process,” said an NTA leader.
Public school teachers have been protesting in Kathmandu for 28 consecutive days, demanding the enactment of a new Education Act that reflects their concerns.
With both sides quietly working on the draft agreement over the past few days, Tuesday’s talks are widely expected to result in a breakthrough. Negotiations were still ongoing in Singha Durbar by the time Republica went to press.