Maoist students’ body shuts higher secondary schools

Maoist affiliated All Nepal National Independent Students Union-Revolutionary (ANNISU-R) have enforced closure of all higher secondary schools for four days starting Sunday.

The ANNISU-R shut the privately-owned higher secondary schools across the country protesting the government’s failure to address their 13-point demanded they had submitted through a memorandum.

Among others, the ANNISU-R in the 13-point demand have asked the government to check commercialization of education in privately-run higher secondary schools, increase the quota of teachers in public higher secondary schools and set the ceiling for the schools’ admission and tuition fees.

Lekh Nath Neupane, President of ANNISU-R, said they were forced to shut down private 10+2 colleges all over the country as the Ministry of Education did not pay any heed to their demands. There are over 800 higher secondary schools across the country. The closure has affected the study of over 200,000 students currently doing the grade XI and XII studies.

Neupane demanded that the government should also raise the standard of the community-run higher secondary schools to give better alternative for the students hailing from poor family background.

The ANNISU-R has announced to shut down community colleges for two days starting September 15 to press for the demand.

The Maoists have long been demanding closure of all community colleges that are being run with the financial assistance of World Bank.

- Asian Tribune -