Kathmandu: Four mass organizations affiliated with the CPN (Maoist Centre) have expressed solidarity with the ongoing movement led by the Confederation of Nepalese Teachers (CNT) in Kathmandu, which advocates teachers’ rights, interests, and entitlements. The four organizations issued a joint press statement today to announce their support.
The four mass organizations representing influential and foundational classes of the CPN (Maoist Centre) — namely, the All Nepal Peasants’ Federation (Revolutionary Centre), All Nepal Trade Union Federation (ANTUF), Nepal Dalit Liberation Front, and All Nepal Landless Association — stated that they are deeply concerned over the teachers’ movement, under the leadership of the Confederation of Nepalese Teachers (CNT), carried out by thousands of teachers who play a vital role in nation-building, demanding that their rights and interests be guaranteed through the promulgation of the School Education Act, the apathy shown by the Congress-UML government and the ruling parties towards the joint teachers’ movement, releasing a press statement today.
The statement, signed by the Chairpersons of the four organizations, reads, “The four mass organizations representing the basic classes of the CPN (Maoist Centre) express heartfelt solidarity with the just struggle being waged by teachers — who light the lamp of education in the lives of our children — for their rights, interests, and entitlements. We appeal to all patriotic students and the people to express their solidarity and support this movement from their respective positions.”
The statement further condemns, “The careless and irresponsible behavior of the KP Oli-led Congress-UML government and all ruling parties basking in the perks of power towards the demands of school education and teachers.” It strongly urges the government to “immediately call a special session of Parliament or implement an alternative mechanism to introduce the School Education Bill in Parliament as per the agreements made between the then government led by the Chairman of the CPN(Maoist Centre), Comrade Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, and the Confederation of Nepalese Teachers (CNT) on Ashoj 5 and Ashoj 12, 2080 BS (September 22 and September 29, 2023), to ensure teachers’ rights and make school education people-oriented, result-oriented, and effective.”
Full Text of the Joint Press Statement:
We express our serious concern to the joint teachers’ movement, led by the Confederation of Nepalese Teachers (CNT), to ensure the rights, interests, and privileges of the thousands of teachers, who play a significant role in nation-building, with the enactment of the School Education Act; and the ignorance shown by the Congress-UML government and the ruling parties towards it.
It is well known that during the tenure of respected Chairman of the CPN (Maoist Centre) Comrade Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ as Prime Minister, the School Education Bill was tabled in the Parliament and 5-point and 6-point agreements were made with the Confederation of Nepalese Teachers (CNT) to address the demands of teachers. Instead of implementing those agreements and tabling the School Education Bill in Parliament to ensure the rights, interests, and entitlements of teachers—who represent the conscious segment of society and spread the light of consciousness — Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, who has been in office for the past ten months, humiliated, looked down upon, and publicly insulted public school teachers with inappropriate and indecent language in a public program organized by private schools, which have privatized school education, turned education into a capitalist business and a tool for profit-making, brokered and corrupted the education system of Nepal and pushing the school children towards a state of despising their own country by eroding their patriotism. Instead of responding to the demands of the teachers, who have fulfilled their responsibilities of regular teaching and conducting examinations of the schools and are now protesting in Kathmandu for their rights — the government abruptly ended the winter session of Parliament and ignored their demands. Following the example of their party chairman, some UML leaders are attempting to intimidate the protesting teachers disrespectfully and rudely—much like how feudal landlords used to threaten their laborers in the past, and tried to portray all teachers across the country as shirkers. The Education Minister is turning a deaf ear. The Congress President remains silent. The ruling parties are completely unresponsive. This clearly shows that Prime Minister Oli, the current Congress-UML government, and the ruling parties are not serious about public education, government schools attended by the children of peasants (farmers), workers, Dalits, landless, and the poor people, nor about the teachers who serve in these schools.
In this context, we, the four mass organizations representing the basic classes of the CPN (Maoist Centre), express our heartfelt solidarity with the just struggle for the rights, interests, and entitlements of the teachers – who light the lamp of education in the lives of our children and appeal to all patriotic students and all people to express their solidarity and extend their support to this movement from their respective positions. Furthermore, we strongly denounce and condemn the ignorance in the issues of school education and the demands of teachers, and irresponsible actions by the Congress-UML government under KP Oli’s leadership, as well as all the ruling parties who are enjoying the perks of power; and firmly demand assurance of the rights, interests, and entitlements of teachers, and to make school education people-oriented, result-driven, and effective by the immediate call of a special session of the Parliament and tabling the School Education Bill in the Parliament as per the agreements reached on Ashoj 5 and Ashoj 12, 2080 BS (September 22 and 29, 2023) between the then government led by CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairman Comrade Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ and the Confederation of Nepalese Teachers (CNT), or by any alternative means.
With hearty revolutionary greetings,
Chitra Bahadur Shrestha, President, All Nepal Peasants’ Federation (Revolutionary Centre)
Jagat Bahadur Simkhada, President, All Nepal Trade Union Federation (ANTUF)
Daljit Shripali, President, Nepal Dalit Liberation Front
Amar Pariyar, President, All Nepal Landless Association
Date: Chaitra 26, 2081 B.S. (April 8, 2025)
