17 student organizations from the ruling party and the opposition have announced a protest, challenging the agitating Nepal Teachers' Federation and private school owners demanding amendments to the school education bill.

Contrary to the demand of teachers and private school administrators, the student organization has started a program of agitations up to street demonstrations demanding provision in the school education bill.

The student organizations including Navy Sangh, Aneraswaviyu, Akhil Krantikari have started a protest by submitting a memorandum to Acting Prime Minister Prakashman Singh on Tuesday. They have put forward 8 points of demand. It has been demanded to literally implement the provision of compulsory and free education up to the basic level and full free secondary education as stipulated in the constitution.

In accordance with the government's commitment to improve the quality of public schools, it has been pointed out that all three levels of government should arrange for mandatory allocation of at least 20 percent of the total annual budget for education. The bill submitted to the House of Representatives by the Committee on Education and Health is silent on the implementation of compulsory education and the budget. There is a joint demand of student organizations to make education completely service-oriented.

"We demand that education at all levels be gradually made completely free as specified by the Constitution of Nepal, by completely eradicating the distortions caused by privatization and commercialization in the education sector and developing education as a completely service-oriented sector rather than a commercial one," the demand letter states. It has been requested to stop forever the provision of permission to open new private educational institutions. The bill mentions that private schools will gradually become non-profit. Private school operators Pabson, National Pabson, Hisan and others have been protesting against this and have been organizing street demonstrations.

Contrary to the demands of the teachers, the student organization has demanded that teachers be appointed only through open competition. The bill provides for internal and open 60 and 40 percent. The teachers' federation has been pushing for 75 percent to be internal. The students have suggested to establish a teachers academy that includes systematic training, research and innovation for the professional capacity development of teachers.

The student organization argues that the educational qualification of the teacher should be kept in good condition. The bill has set graduation qualifications for subject teachers at the basic level and postgraduate qualifications for secondary level teachers. It has been pointed out that this arrangement will create a serious situation of shortage of skilled teachers and it will cause more crisis in public education. At present, in NimaVima, teachers of class 12 or similar and secondary level teachers have been assigned graduation level educational qualification.