Due to the teachers’ movement in Kathmandu, 550,400 students have been halted from taking the Grade 12 examination. According to the schedule set by the National Examination Board for April 24, students preparing for the exam could not appear after the board revised the schedule. The revision was made after the Nepal Teachers’ Association announced to disrupt the exams if conducted during their ongoing protest. The National Examination Board prepared to conduct the Grade 12 exams by mobilizing civil servants, but it postponed the exams scheduled to begin on April 22 after a meeting concluded they could not proceed smoothly due to the ongoing protest. The board postponed the April 24 exam and released a revised schedule to start the exam from May 4. However, the exams scheduled from May 4 also appear uncertain if the protest continues. Teachers from across Nepal have been staging continuous protests on the streets of Kathmandu under the leadership of the Teachers’ Association since April 2. They have committed to continuing their agitation and not returning home until Parliament passes the Education Act as per their previous agreement with the government. Despite several meetings between teachers, government representatives, and the Ministry of Education, the issue has not been resolved. While the government has ensured to settle the matter during the parliamentary session starting on April 25 and has said the Education Bill is under review, teachers remain doubtful.
The ongoing disputes between the government and teachers have left students from remote areas, who traveled to district headquarters and exam centers in confusion. They are uncertain whether to return home or stay. Most students, who have worked hard throughout the year to prepare for the exams, are now suffering due to the postponement. The school enrollment campaign in community schools, which was supposed to start by now, has also been disrupted due to the protest. All community schools across the country are closed. Meanwhile, private schools have already started enrollment and classes. They have not yet started checking the answer sheets of the Class 10 (SEE) exams. Additionally, no enrollment has been done for students from Grade 1 to Grade 10. Despite this, the government has been unable to make any concrete decisions.
After the seven-point proposal prepared by Education Minister Bidhya Bhattarai failed to be implemented and convince the teachers, Minister Bhattarai resigned on the evening of April 21. Minister Bhattarai had made a seven-point proposal to address the teachers’ demands. The proposal included adding teachers to the government’s official ranking system, giving them access to medical care at the Civil Servants’ Hospital in Kathmandu, and allowing relief and temporary teachers to receive their unused sick leave as a lump sum at retirement. It also suggested making sure early childhood and school staff get at least the minimum government-set salary, covered by both federal and local governments. From the 2025/2026 fiscal year, permanent primary and secondary teachers would get pay and grade levels equal to civil servants. Relief teachers would get remote area allowances based on their permanent address, and all non-permanent teachers and staff would be added to the Social Security Fund with proper benefits.
After the resignation of the Education Minister, the Teachers’ Association has also intensified its protest. The Nepal School Staff Council has issued a circular directing school staff to bring school keys to Kathmandu within 24 hours and join the protest. Chairperson of the National Examination Board, Mahashram Sharma, has informed that 550,400 students will participate in this year’s Grade 12 examination. Among them, 38,000 are students appearing for supplementary exams or those who missed the exams since 1999. The Board has also stated that one examination center has been set up in Japan, where 16 students will be taking the exam.
Due to the ongoing issue, 80,00,000 students up to Grade 12 have been affected. The Guardians’ Association has already urged both the government and the Teachers’ Association to resume school operations by addressing the teachers’ demands as per the previous agreement, stating that pushing students’ futures into uncertainty goes against professional ethics. On the 20th day of the teachers’ protest, on April 21, protesting teachers reportedly misbehaved with and physically confronted Sanod Mahat, a parent of a student studying at a community school in Lalitpur. According to police, the incident occurred after Mahat urged the teachers to reopen schools and prioritize children’s education.
Shankar Adhikari, Chairperson of the Unified All Nepal Teachers’ Association, stated that the police detained Mahat after he began chanting slogans against the teachers. On April 22, parents in Palpa protested, demanding schools reopen due to concerns about their children’s future. Parents from Gyanodaya Basic School in Chidipani, Mathagadhi Rural Municipality-1, pressured the school management committee to resume classes.