Kathmandu, Baisakh 17: The government and the Teachers Federation have reached a nine-point agreement. The nine-point agreement was reached after a discussion between the Minister for Education, Science, and Technology, Raghuji Pant, representing the government, and representatives of the Federation. According to Minister Pant, an agreement has been reached to arrange for all teachers and school employees to receive concessions regarding health treatment at the Civil Service Hospital in Kathmandu.
It has been stated that the sick leave of temporary teachers, including those on relief, temporary contracts, former higher secondary teachers, learning grant teachers, technical stream teachers, special education teachers, and child development facilitators, will be accumulated, and the corresponding amount will be received in a lump sum at the time of retirement.
The agreement mentions making arrangements for the remuneration of early childhood development facilitators and school employees as specified by the Government of Nepal, and from the upcoming fiscal year 2082/83, fixing the grade count and amount equivalent to civil servants for permanent teachers of primary third grade, primary second grade, lower secondary third grade, and secondary first grade.
There has been an agreement to arrange for all teachers in permanent and temporary quota positions (relief, temporary, contractual former higher secondary, technical stream, and special education) to receive remote area allowances as per the prevailing law and to make provisions in the regulations to affiliate teachers and employees working in community schools from private sources with the Social Security Fund.
An agreement has also been reached to include teachers in the order of precedence of the Government of Nepal, to arrange for free treatment in government hospitals for all teachers, security personnel, employees, and journalists injured during the Nepal Teachers Federation's movement, and to fix the salary and grade of lower secondary first-grade teachers equivalent to those of secondary second-grade teachers.
Minister Pant informed through a press conference that today's cabinet meeting has endorsed the agreement. He stated that the Teachers Federation would withdraw all protest programs from tomorrow, Thursday, and resume school operations. Minister Pant expressed his gratitude to everyone who assisted in forging this agreement. At the press conference, Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak urged all teachers to focus on making the Grade 12 examinations, which are scheduled to begin on Baisakh 21, a success.
Chairman of the Teachers Federation, Laxmi Kishor Subedi, urged teachers and employees to withdraw from the nationwide educational strike from today itself and to start activities such as school admissions and conducting examinations, following the nine-point agreement with the government.
He expressed his gratitude to the leaders of various political parties, ministers, journalists, and representatives of various professions who facilitated the talks. He also thanked all the teachers and employees who were involved in the street protests. Chairman Subedi warned that they would be forced to resume protests if their demands were not addressed within the stipulated time.
Stating that the street protests were carried out with the aim of enacting the School Education Bill, he said that an understanding has been reached for this act to be passed by the House of Representatives by Ashadh 15. It has been reported that an agreement has been signed between the Education, Health, and Information Technology Committee and the chief whips of the major parties. The Teachers Federation had been carrying out Kathmandu-centric street protests since Chaitra 20, 2081 BS.
9-point agreement between the government and teachers:
- All teacher employees will be provided with medical expense benefits.
- Sick leave of temporary teachers (relief, temporary/contractual former higher secondary, learning grant, technical stream, special education, and child development facilitators) will be accumulated, and the equivalent amount will be provided in a lump sum upon separation from service.
- Arrangements regarding the remuneration of early childhood development facilitators and school employees will be made as specified by the Government of Nepal.
- From the upcoming fiscal year 2082/83, permanent teachers of primary third grade, primary second grade, lower secondary third grade, and secondary first grade will have grade amounts equivalent to civil servants.
- Arrangements will be made for all permanent and temporary quota teachers (relief, temporary/contractual former higher secondary, technical stream, and special education) to receive remote area allowance as per the prevailing law.
- Provisions will be made in the regulations to affiliate teachers and employees working in community schools from private sources with the Social Security Fund.
- They will be listed in the order of precedence of the Government of Nepal.
- Arrangements will be made for free treatment in government hospitals for all teachers, security personnel, journalists, and employees injured in the Nepal Teachers Federation's movement.
- The salary and grade of lower secondary first-grade teachers will be made equivalent to those of secondary second-grade teachers.
