Kathmandu, April 28: The government has been loudly promoting the slogan of good governance. Not only the Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and ministers but leaders from political parties participating in the present government have been echoing the call for good governance. However, the government has failed to deliver the most touted on this promise. Neither have timely laws been enacted, nor have citizens been able to access government services easily.
Citizens are being deprived of exercising the rights granted by the constitution. Alarmingly, even children’s right to education has been violated. Teachers at community schools have been protesting for nearly a month. While fighting for their own rights through a declared educational strike, they have completely disregarded children’s right to education.
As the teachers’ protest drags on, the enrollment and education of 5.5 million students have come to a halt, examinations for nearly 500,000 Grade 12 students have been postponed, and the results for around 550,000 students who appeared for the SEE (Secondary Education Examination) have become uncertain. Instead of resolving the teachers’ issues, the government has intensified police interventions. Although political leaders, members of parliament, and civil society activists have been urging the government to resolve the issues through dialogue, the government has largely ignored these calls, resulting in clashes.
As the three-day deadline given by the Supreme Court to create a conducive environment to bring students back to school expired, confrontations between teachers and police erupted. However, despite some formal talks between the government and the teachers, no significant progress has been made toward resolving the problem.
Teaching and the government’s enrollment campaigns have come to a complete stop, and even the Grade 12 examinations have been postponed. Instead of engaging in dialogue with teachers to find a solution, the government has resorted to police force on the streets. In some areas, municipalities have started threatening teachers. Such actions by a government that flaunts the slogan of good governance are indeed condemnable.
Though the talks between Education Minister Raghuji Pant and the Teachers’ Federation were termed positive, no concrete agreement has been reached yet, leaving the burden on students. Enrollment has not progressed; SEE answer sheet evaluations and Grade 12 exams have been stalled. Parents are even considering moving their children from public to private schools. Yet, neither the government, which preaches good governance, nor the teachers, who are responsible for imparting moral education, seem to be fulfilling their responsibilities.
The government has pledged to pass the School Education Bill, which is currently under consideration in parliament. If political parties act responsibly, the bill could be passed in the current session. However, some political parties are instead provoking teachers, while the government seems intent on suppressing the movement, and the teachers remain firm in their stance.
The spectacle of government good governance and teacher education has spilled onto the streets. Protests are raging everywhere. The government has failed to address any of these movements effectively. Rather than swiftly working to address legitimate demands, the government appears helpless.
Movements led by teachers, doctors, cooperative victims, and system reformists have all gathered momentum, creating pressure from various corners. Ultimately, the public is the one bearing the brunt of all these protests. Despite chanting slogans of good governance, the government seems content to watch the spectacle unfold. Even the “quality education” promised by protesting teachers has started to seem like a mockery. #teacher #protest #nepal
