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Hans India
27-04-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Nepal: Teachers protesting for education reforms clash with police
Kathmandu: Police and protesting teachers clashed at New Baneshwar in Nepal on Sunday during a demonstration, according to local media reports. The confrontation broke out when teachers gathered on the Bijulibazar–New Baneshwar road section and attempted to breach a restricted area, prompting police to intervene. Tensions escalated rapidly, as protesters hurled stones at the police. In response, police forces used batons and water cannons to disperse the demonstrators, according to the leading Nepali newspaper, The Kathmandu Post. The Teachers' Federation Nepal, an umbrella body representing school teachers, has been staging demonstrations for the past 25 days, demanding the immediate promulgation of the School Education Act that incorporates their various demands. The agitating teachers have remained firm on continuing their protests until the Bill is passed and their concerns are addressed. A major demand of the protesting teachers is to ensure pay and perks on par with those of civil servants. Other demands include the payment of grades, allowances for relief quota teachers, and the establishment of a separate dedicated hospital or discounted health checkup services at the Civil Service Hospital. Permanent status for temporary teachers through internal competitions is another key demand. Additionally, teachers have also sought to be placed under the federal government's purview, although this demand has been downplayed following criticism that it contradicts the spirit of the Constitution. Talks between the government and school teachers, held nearly a month after the agitation began, ended without any agreement on Saturday. The protesters remained steadfast in their demand for the immediate promulgation of the School Education Act as their bottom line. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court of Nepal has issued an interim order asking the government to address the legitimate demands of the protesting teachers and ensure that the teachers return to classrooms. The order stated that the ongoing teachers' protests in the country have violated the student's right to education, and it would continue if the court didn't intervene, local media reported.
The Print
21-04-2025
- Politics
- The Print
Nepal's Education Minister resigns amid ongoing Teachers' protest and government inaction
Bhattarai submitted her resignation letter to Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Monday afternoon, according to sources from the Prime Minister's Office. Kathmandu [Nepal], April 21 (ANI): Nepal's Minister for Education, Science and Technology, Bidhya Bhattarai, has resigned from her post on the 20th day of ongoing protests by teachers from community and government schools across the country. 'In the resignation letter, the minister has primarily stated health to be the reason behind this step. It is well known that she had been facing pressure after continued protests by the teachers in Kathmandu,' a senior official from the Prime Minister's Office told ANI. Bhattarai's resignation comes at a time when community and government school teachers from across the country have been protesting in Kathmandu for the past 20 days. The protest is centred around demands related to the School Education Act and other concerns. Minister Bhattarai's resignation follows growing dissatisfaction among teachers and the government's perceived unwillingness to address their demands. Earlier, on 15th April, Bhattarai had held discussions with Speaker Devraj Ghimire and Chhabilal Bishwakarma, the coordinator of the parliamentary subcommittee on school education. Bhattarai had also discussed the issue with Finance Minister Bishnu Poudel, as many of the teachers' demands are linked to financial matters. Along with, she also had raised the issue with the Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to address the issue of teachers as it has been hampering new academic session which should have been started as of now. But Oli in the meeting showed little flexibility despite multiple meetings with the teachers over the week. 'The Minister had requested the government to create an environment to move forward with the education bill during the first week of the upcoming parliamentary session. But there was a cold response from all possible fronts,' a senior official from the Education Ministry confirmed to ANI. House Speaker Ghimire, in the recent week, publicly stated that the education bill cannot be endorsed within the upcoming house session, which has further increased pressure on the education minister. On 18 April, a delegation of teachers held a meeting with Prime Minister Oli, where he insisted that teachers return to schools instead of addressing their demands. The National Teachers Federation (NTF), an elected body of the country's school teachers, has been demanding the enactment of the School Education Bill, which is now being held up in the parliamentary committee for deliberation. The discussion which has been held in the subpanel has received mutually conflicting suggestions on several issues, including teacher management. As the Constitution of Nepal 2072 lists school education as the absolute authority of the local government, local units want school teachers to fall under their jurisdiction. However, teachers don't want to stay under local authorities, claiming there are high chances that the local governments will treat them based on the political leanings of the local governments. On different occasions, the federal government has reached an agreement with the teachers to keep them under the federal government. Enactment of the Act is a must to implement the Constitution of Nepal, which can delegate most of the authority to manage the education sector at the local and provincial levels. However, almost a decade after the constitution came into force, the country is yet to get the Act. Right after the government introduced the bill in the federal parliament in September 2023, the federation staged a Kathmandu-centric agitation objecting to different provisions in the bill. Thousands of teachers staged protests in Kathmandu, disrupting life in the capital city and forcing the government into a dialogue. They withdrew the protest after sealing a six-point deal with the government, which promised to address their demands by revising the bill. Before descending to Kathmandu for agitation about one and a half years since the agreement, the teachers had held staged protests at local and provincial levels while also continuing to lobby at the political and bureaucratic levels. (ANI) This report is auto-generated from ANI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Japan Times
17-03-2025
- General
- Japan Times
Schools face challenges in evaluating students not attending classes
As the number of elementary and junior high school students not attending classes reaches a record high 340,000 nationwide, determining how to evaluate their learning achievements outside of school has become a challenging issue in the education sector. In August last year, the education ministry revised part of the enforcement regulations of the School Education Act to ensure that learning outcomes achieved outside of school are appropriately evaluated. While some education boards have created guidelines for implementation, there is also a concern that assessing students through grades may run counter to supporting those who cannot go to schools for various reasons. At Narumi Junior High School in Nagoya, there is a special room called Na-ru-mu where students who have stopped attending regular classes can spend their time freely. Currently, eight students come to the room between one and three times a week, with some studying independently while others spend their time reading or playing board games. Students are free to decide what they will do when they come to the room. Those who study at Na-ru-mu use worksheets or online materials, and they are also allowed to take term exams from the school in a separate classroom. The students' learning achievements at Na-ru-mu are reflected in their grades, but Principal Futoshi Hattori said it is difficult to evaluate them as they are assessed in the same way as other students in regular classes. Evaluations are made not only by test scores and assignment submissions, but also by class participation and engagement, he said. 'For some students (at Na-ru-mu), report cards, themselves, can be a heavy burden,' Hattori said, adding that it is essential to carefully listen to the wishes of both the students and their parents. In 2019, the education ministry issued a notice to boards of education nationwide, urging them to appropriately evaluate the learning achievements of students who are not attending schools. When the ministry revised the enforcement regulations of the School Education Act in August, it set certain standards in evaluating these students. The ministry said schools must ensure that what the students are learning is in line with the curriculum of their enrolled schools, and that their learning progress is continuously monitored in collaboration with guardians or private organizations. A report card of a junior high school student attending a free school in Nagoya. While she received grade '4' in mathematics, she got the lowest '1' in music and other subjects focused on class engagement. | Chunichi Shimbun Education boards across the country are now working to come up with specific evaluation methods. The Nagano Prefectural Board of Education has published guidelines on how to evaluate the achievements of students in various learning settings, such as at home, in-school safe spaces and in alternative educational facilities that are generally called 'free schools.' The guidelines give examples of how achievements under different learning methods can be assessed. At Free School Mirai, an alternative educational facility in the city of Nagano, students from some junior high schools whose principals have given permission take their school term exams at the facility. Free School Mirai receives exam materials from the students' enrolled schools, administers the tests under staff supervision, and then returns the completed answer sheets to the schools. Currently, four of the 20 junior high school students at the facility are taking term exams this way. At the facility, students also work on writing and other assignments given by their schools, which are reflected in their grades. The facility regularly reports on the students' learning progress to their respective schools, and some schools even incorporate this feedback into the comments section of the students' report cards. However, these examples are rare, and cases in which learning at alternative facilities is reflected in grades remain limited. Many students at free schools are not in a state of mind to focus on studies, and the activities of these facilities vary widely depending on the organizations managing them, making it difficult to fit them into the grading system at schools, experts say. The Nagoya Board of Education has also created guidelines on evaluating students not attending classes. However, the extent to which these measures are implemented varies by school. An official from the city's education board says that while it is important to recognize these students' efforts, it is also difficult to evaluate them. 'For children with low self-esteem, evaluating them with grades may run counter to providing support in an effort to bring out their strengths,' the official said. Eijiro Arai, associate professor of education at Shinshu University, pointed out that the fundamental issue should be how to approach and support children not attending classes before considering how to evaluate them with grades. 'Discussion is needed for new assessment methods that can help each child grow in their own way." At one free school in Nagoya, students have voiced concerns over how their efforts at the facility are evaluated. A second-year junior high school student who attends the facility said her report card from the school was filled with the lowest grade of '1' while she was unable to attend classes. 'I felt like I was being completely denied," she recalled. Before she stopped attending classes, she had been among the top students, with good grades. The Nagoya facility she currently attends has a structured daily schedule and provides academic support as well. "If my efforts here were recognized, I would be able to feel my own achievements again," she said. However, she also revealed her mixed feelings, explaining that academic pressure was one of the reasons she stopped attending school. "If I feel like I have to work even harder, it might become too overwhelming," she said. Although she now takes her school's term exams, the differences in learning between her school and the Nagoya facility add to her burden. Another second-year junior high school student attending the same facility is studying hard with the aim of going on to high school. In the entrance exams of public high schools in Aichi Prefecture, long-term absentees are given a choice of admission method that does not weigh heavily on school grades. However, the student still worries that he is at a disadvantage compared to other students. He also voiced his frustration that his school does not provide any academic support. "I'm doing the best I can in my own way, but I don't think my school will acknowledge that." This section features topics and issues from the Chubu region covered by the Chunichi Shimbun. The original article was published Jan. 20.
