Lawmakers Urge Government to Address Teachers’ Demands Through Dialogue and Consensus

Members of Parliament today called on the government to address the ongoing agitation of school teachers with urgency and sensitivity, emphasizing the need for dialogue and consensus to resolve the crisis.

During the special hour of the House of Representatives (HoR) meeting, lawmaker Sushila Thing strongly criticized the use of force by police against protesting teachers on April 27, when baton charges and water cannons were reportedly deployed. She urged the government to fulfill its role as a guardian of all citizens and take the grievances of teachers seriously.

“The teachers have been facing injustice. The government must focus its attention on resolving their issues. At the same time, I request teachers to reconsider their stance of not returning to school until the new education act is passed,” Thing said.

Echoing similar sentiments, lawmaker Thakur Gaire underscored the need to amend the existing education act and warned that confrontation between security forces and teachers would not bring a solution. He urged all stakeholders to seek an amicable way forward through dialogue.

Gaire also highlighted that the School Education Bill is currently under discussion in the Education, Health, and Information Technology Committee of the House of Representatives. “The opposition parties also bear equal responsibility to ensure the teachers’ genuine demands are addressed,” he added.

Gaire further stressed that the government’s upcoming policies and programmes should align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), marking the current decade as one of prosperity, social justice, and inclusive development.

The HoR session saw a visible protest by opposition lawmakers, who stood from their seats shortly after the meeting began. In response, Speaker Devraj Ghimire allowed Chief Whip of the CPN (Maoist Centre), Hitraj Pandey, to speak.

Pandey called for immediate discussion on a resolution of urgent public importance submitted on Monday, aimed at resolving the teachers’ agitation. He urged the Speaker to issue a directive allowing the parliament to deliberate and address the issue on the same day.

CPN-UML Chief Whip Mahesh Bartaula assured that the government is actively working to address the teachers’ demands. “The Education Minister has been in continuous talks with representatives of the teachers. We are hopeful that a breakthrough will be reached by this evening,” Bartaula said.

Other lawmakers raised additional concerns during the session. Prem Ale demanded an impartial investigation into financial irregularities at Pokhara and Bhairahawa international airports. Shova Gyawali expressed alarm over increasing wildlife attacks in various parts of the country and urged prompt action.

Meanwhile, lawmaker Gyan Bahadur Shahi reiterated the call for the government to seriously engage with protesting teachers and resolve the impasse before it affects the education sector further.

The nationwide protest by teachers revolves around long-standing demands for job security, pay reform, and structural changes within the education system, particularly through the passage of a new education act.