The government agrees to enact new Education Act by June 29
KATHMANDU, April 30: The agitating public school teachers have agreed to withdraw their month-long protest after the cabinet meeting endorsed a nine-point agreement reached earlier on Wednesday.
With this, the Nepal Teachers’ Federation (NTF) has announced an end to its Kathmandu-centered protest. According to the NTF Chairperson Laxmi Kishor Subedi, teachers will return to schools starting Thursday and the enrollment campaign will begin.
The government has pledged to enact a new Education Act– the key demands of the agitating teachers– incorporating all the issues of nine-point agreement by June 29 during the ongoing Budget session of the parliament.
The agreement reached between the government and the NTF came after a series of negotiations between the two sides. A draft agreement was reached between the two sides during their negotiation on Tuesday night.
The NTF held another round of talks with the Education Minister Raghuji Pant on Wednesday afternoon. The NTF agreed to withdraw its protests after the cabinet meeting endorsed the agreement reached between the two sides during negotiation on Wednesday afternoon.
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The nine-point agreement reached between the government and the NTU addresses various concerns of teachers and school staff.
Firstly, all teachers and school employees will be granted access to concessional healthcare services at the Civil Servants' Hospital located in Kathmandu. This measure aims to improve the well-being and health security of educators and support staff across the country.
Secondly, temporary teachers, including those working under relief quotas, temporary contracts, former lower secondary school quotas, learning grant programs, technical streams, special education, and early childhood development facilitation, will be allowed to accumulate their sick leave. Upon retirement, they will receive a lump sum payment equivalent to the value of their unused sick leave.
Thirdly, the remuneration of early childhood development facilitators and school employees will be structured in line with the pay scale determined by the Government of Nepal. This ensures consistency and fairness in compensation for these essential roles.
Fourthly, beginning with the Fiscal Year 2025/26, the grade levels and corresponding salary amounts for permanent teachers in specific categories—namely Primary Third, Primary Second, Lower Secondary Third, and Secondary First grades—will be aligned with those of civil servants holding equivalent positions.
Fifthly, all teachers working under both permanent and temporary appointments—including those under relief, temporary, contractual, former lower secondary, technical stream, and special education quotas—will be entitled to receive remote area allowances, as stipulated by prevailing laws.
Sixth, a legal provision will be introduced to enroll teachers and staff employed in community schools through private funding sources into the Social Security Fund. This step is intended to extend social protection coverage to all educators, regardless of their funding source.
Seventh, teachers will be formally included in the Government of Nepal’s official order of precedence, recognizing their contributions to national development and education.
Eighth, arrangements will be made for free medical treatment at government hospitals for all teachers, security personnel, staff, and journalists who sustained injuries during the protest organized by the Nepal Teachers' Federation.
Lastly, the salary and grade of Lower Secondary First Grade teachers will be adjusted to match those of Secondary Second Grade teachers, thereby ensuring equity in pay and recognition of professional responsibilities.
Minister for Education, Science, and Technology Pant, Education Secretary Deepak Kafle and the coordinator of the talks, Krishna Prasad Kapri, represented the government at the meeting. Kapri is the Director General of the Centre for Education and Human Resource Development.
The NTF was represented by its President Subedi, General Secretary Tula Thapa, Vice President Nanu Maya Parajuli and Deputy Secretary Madan Raj Joshi.
Second-rung leaders of both ruling Nepali Congress (NC) and CPN-UML were also involved in negotiations with the agitating NTF to address their demands. Addressing a press conference organized after the agreement, Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak said the government will now focus on passing the new Education Act through the parliament within the given deadline. He also urged agitating teachers to return to work.
Also, addressing the press conference, Education Minister Pant thanked all stakeholders involved in reaching the agreement to end the month-long protests of the school teachers. He also thanked the outgoing Education Minister Bidya Bhattarai, who laid out the basis of the nine-point agreement with the agitating teachers.
NTF Chairperson Subedi urged teachers and staff to participate in examinations and the enrollment campaign. The agitating NTF has warned of unveiling a fresh protest program if the new Act is not endorsed by the parliament by the given date.
The NTF had begun its Kathmandu-centered protest on April 2.
