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Nepali police brutally attacked teachers peacefully protesting in Kathmandu, leaving more than 60 educators injured, a clear violation of basic human rights and an unacceptable response to teacher concerns. The incident has drawn strong condemnation and international solidarity from the education union movement, highlighting the urgent need for education reform in Nepal.

Peaceful protests met with violence

The teachers, mobilized under the Confederation of Nepalese Teachers (CNT) – comprising the Nepal Teachers’ Association (NTA), Nepal National Teachers Association (NNTA), Institutional School Teachers Union (ISTU), and Nepal School Employees Council (NSEC) – have been staging continuous demonstrations since 9 March 2025. Despite 27 days of peaceful protest, the Government of Nepal chose to respond with violence rather than dialogue, further delaying promised reforms.

International solidarity and condemnation

On April 28th, the day following the attack, Anand Singh, Regional Director of Education International Asia-Pacific, visited the teachers on the streets of Kathmandu to deliver a strong message of solidarity. Addressing the assembled educators, he declared: "Teachers must be heard, respected, and treated with dignity. The government must immediately fulfill its commitments to teachers. Permanent employment and fair wages are basic rights."

Education International Asia-Pacific condemned the violence, stating: "The teachers’ call for justice was met with violence – a shameful betrayal of democratic principles. We stand in unwavering solidarity with Nepal’s teachers in their rightful struggle for dignity, rights, and the future of education."

Laxmi Kumar Subedi, President of the Confederation of Nepalese Teachers, expressed gratitude for the international support: "Global solidarity strengthens our resolve. With increasing international pressure, Nepali teachers are now more hopeful of achieving a just and rightful victory. Your support gives us hope and strength."

A call for education reform

The teachers' primary demand is the enactment of the long-delayed School Education Act, reflecting agreements reached with the government in 2019.

A six-point agreement promising immediate legislative action, reached in 2023 between the government and CNT, included the following key provisions:

1. Job security: Ensuring permanent status for all non-permanent teachers and school staff.
2. Fair wages: Establishing fair wages and working conditions that reflect the invaluable contributions of teachers to society.
3. Implementation of commitments: Immediate implementation of the commitments made regarding teacher employment conditions.
4. Relief quota teachers: Addressing the precarious situation faced by relief quota teachers, early childhood teachers, temporary teachers, and thousands of institutional schools’ teachers.
5. Internal promotions: Providing either the right to internal promotions or job security until retirement.
6. Education reform: Prioritizing the swift passage of the School Education Bill to fulfill the commitments made to teachers and advance Nepal’s education system.

After the agreement, the CNT suspended previous protests in good faith. However, three parliamentary sessions have since passed without progress, leading teachers to resume indefinite protests from March 2025.

Protest letter from Education International’s leadership

In a strongly worded letter dated April 22nd, 2025, Education International’s General Secretary, David Edwards addressed the Prime Minister of Nepal, urging the government to uphold its commitments and pass the School Education Act without further delay. The letter emphasized the urgent need for action, stating: "Further inaction will only deepen Nepal’s education crisis, jeopardizing the future of millions of Nepali children and eroding public trust in the government’s commitment to education."

Edwards reiterated Education International’s unwavering solidarity with Nepalese teachers and called for immediate implementation of the 2023 agreements to guarantee job security, fair wages, and decent working conditions.

Education International stresses that the rights and working conditions of teachers are fundamental to building strong public education systems and ensuring the well-being of students. This struggle is not only a national issue but part of a global movement for justice, dignity, and democracy in education. Nepal’s failure to enact promised reforms at this critical moment of federal transition risks damaging the future of its education system and undermining the rights of generations to come.