After 29 days of classroom shutdowns and nationwide protests, the agitating teachers finally reached an agreement with the government and decided to return to schools. The nine-point agreement, signed on Wednesday, following a swift approval by the Cabinet, ended a prolonged deadlock that had paralyzed community school education. Teachers, who had been demanding what they termed a fair deal, have gained recognition and improved pay through the new understanding. The government has promised to address the remaining demands through the upcoming School Education Act, to be endorsed by June 28, adding an extra Rs 8 billion in the education budget, which would go up to at least Rs. 214 billion from the current Rs 206 billion. These funds are expected to support the implementation of the new reforms while the agreement facilitates Early Childhood Development (ECD) teachers, school staff, and assistants to receive government-provided salaries and formal employment status. Around 33,000 ECD facilitators will now be officially recognized as teachers, and school staff and assistants will receive salaries equal to non-categorized government employees. These gains not only put community school teachers ahead of their educators in private institutions in terms of financial benefits but also offer them stronger job security.
The pact was possible mainly due to a united front and persistent effort from teachers, who succeeded in convincing the state to acknowledge their demands and to take steps to address them. However, this ‘victory’ carries with it an even greater responsibility on part of the teachers. They must now improve the teaching-learning environment in public schools. Public school students have suffered for years under poor facilities, class disruptions, substandard teaching, and a lack of accountability on the part of teachers, who are often accused of playing truant. All of these have led to poor performance in national examinations such as the Secondary Education Examination (SEE), where public school students constantly lag behind their private school counterparts. Teachers now need to prove their commitment through actions because the government has listened to and fulfilled their demands. Going back to the classrooms is not sufficient, as teachers need to enter classrooms with a new sense of purpose and responsibility. They need to prioritize upliftment in students' performance and achievements and must strive to address gaps between private and public schools. After the government consented to all key demands, allowing them to have enhanced perks, salaries, and facilities, teachers must feel committed to improve school and students’ performance by remodeling classrooms and school culture. The latest agreement has, therefore, the potential to alter public school education now onwards. But it entirely depends on the teachers. Will the teachers take their duties and responsibilities as seriously – just the way they took up their cause? Many doubt, and they have reasons to. As the teachers head back to school all eyes are on them.
Private school teachers place an ultimatum to withdraw decision...
Everyone would agree that public trust in community schools has eroded over the years, as parents increasingly opted for private education, believing it offered better prospects. This shift has burdened low-income households, which led to widening inequality in society. Now, with increased government endowments, teachers must be motivated to restore trust and prove that government-funded schools can provide quality education. The new agreement can thus prove to be a starting point in strengthening the public education system. With the new expectation and fresh responsibility on their shoulders, teachers must aim to rebuild and rejuvenate learning and teaching activities. Here, they must acknowledge that rebuilding classrooms and enthusing students are necessary to stop the growing number of classroom absentees and school dropouts. If that happens, it will undoubtedly be the beginning of real change in Nepal’s public education system. Of course, the government must also implement the agreement and issue the Education Act as promised.
