Lawmakers have drawn the government’s attention to creating an environment for teachers protesting in Kathmandu to return to schools. Speaking during the zero hour of Monday’s meeting of the House of Representatives, they said it was unfortunate that clashes had occurred during the peaceful protest and called for an immediate end to the mistreatment of teachers.

They also emphasised the endorsement of the School Education Bill without any delay and creating conditions for teachers to resume their duties.

Janardan Sharma of the CPN (Maoist Centre) stressed that the government must urgently address the teachers’ demands. Condemning Sunday’s police action, which left dozens of teachers injured by water cannons and batons, he said the state must enact laws to meet the legitimate demands of teachers and implement past agreements reached with them.

Sumana Shrestha of the Rastriya Swatantra Party urged the government to fulfil the teachers’ rightful demands immediately. She said the protest had deprived children of access to school education and called for swift action to send teachers back to classrooms. She also condemned attacks on journalists.

Roshan Karki of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party said the use of water cannons and force against teachers was deplorable and called on the government to address their demands. She also condemned attacks on journalists during the protests and called for the immediate fulfilment of the demands raised by residential doctors.

Surya Thapa of the CPN-UML expressed sadness over Sunday’s incident and urged the government to prevent such events from recurring. Stressing that both police and teachers serve the nation, he called on both sides to exercise restraint. He also demanded that the education minister update Parliament on the progress of the School Education Bill endorsement process.

The ongoing demonstrations by school teachers in Kathmandu turned ugly on Sunday when police and protesters clashed at New Baneshwar, leaving several injured. The confrontation erupted after teachers, who had gathered along the Bijulibazar–New Baneshwar road section, attempted to breach a restricted area, prompting police intervention. As tensions escalated, protesters hurled stones at the police, who responded with batons and water cannons to disperse the crowd.

The Nepal Teachers’ Federation, an umbrella body representing school teachers across the country, has been staging demonstrations for the past 26 days. The protesting teachers are demanding the immediate promulgation of the School Education Act that would address their concerns, including ensuring salaries and perks equivalent to those of civil servants.

Their demands also include payment of grades and allowances to relief quota teachers, the establishment of a separate dedicated hospital for teachers or health checkups at subsidised rates at the Civil Service Hospital, and granting permanent status to temporary teachers through internal competitions. Additionally, they have called for allowing teachers to work under the federal government, although they have toned down this particular demand following criticism that it undermines the spirit of the federal constitution.