Ei-iE

The teachers and Education Support Personnel (ESP) in Nepal are celebrating a hard-fought victory after a targeted organizing campaign, massive protests, and a national strike. Following intense negotiations in the last few days, the government of Nepal subscribed to a Nine-Point Agreement featuring significant salary increases and long-overdue benefits.

In addition, grade progression in the education sector will be aligned with civil service standards. Additional wins include access to public hospitals, medical leave reimbursement, and rural allowances. Unlawful transfers and salary threats against protesting teachers were revoked.

Nepali teachers secured these landmark gains following a 29-day nationwide protest for educational reforms led by the Confederation of Nepali Teachers (CNT) and supported by all four EI affiliates.

Early Childhood Education teachers will now earn 32,902 Nepalese Rupees (around 215 euros) and School Assistants 26,082 Nepalese Rupees (around 170 euros) monthly. These commitments represent an additional 14 billion Nepalese Rupees (around 91 million euros) in government expenditure.

While many issues affecting private school teachers and school employees remain unresolved, the unions and EI reaffirm their commitment to continue the struggle for fair treatment and improved conditions for all Nepalese educators.

Affirming and celebrating unity and solidarity on May Day in the country’s capital city, Kathmandu, Education International (EI) national member organizations – the Institutional School Teachers' Union of Nepal, the Nepal National Teachers' Association (NNTA) and the Nepal Teachers' Association (NTA) - were joined by the Nepal School Employees’ Council (NSEC), EI's newest member in Nepal. The unions took stock of their more recent achievements and committed to continuing the fight together for further improvements in teachers’ working conditions and investment in education.

“ May Day is the most significant day on the union’s calendar. It is the day when the union movement reflects on struggles past and considers the struggles that lay ahead. It is also the day on which we celebrate the importance of unity and solidarity, necessary to realize our full collective strength,” highlighted Anand Singh, Director of the EI Asia-Pacific regional office.

Go Public! Fund Education campaign in full gear in South Asia

Adding to the solidarity on display at the national level, and extending it further across South Asia, delegates from India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka were also present in Kathmandu for a South Asia’s evaluation and planning meeting of the EI Go Public! Fund Education campaign.

In a sub-region plagued with an estimated shortage of 7.8 million teachers, EI member organizations forming the South Asia Teachers’ Federation continue, in one strong unified voice, to urge governments to fulfill their obligation to provide quality public education for all through greater investment in teachers and public education.

Opening the South Asia planning meeting, Mr. Numan Ozcan, Director of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Country Office for Nepal, stated that EI’s Go Public! Fund Education campaign "fully aligns with the ILO mission."

He added that "public education has suffered because of underinvestment" and that "too many teachers endure low wages, insecurity and lack of support."

On the UN Recommendations on the Teaching Profession, Mr. Ozcan said that "the recommendations clearly show us the way forward" and that "the urgency of implementing the recommendations becomes very clear when we consider the global teacher shortage. Underinvestment is the root cause of this crisis."