Private school operators warn of indefinite school closure from Sept 4

KATHMANDU: Private school operators have warned of closing schools indefinitely from September 4 if their demands related to the School Education Bill are not met by then.

Umbrella organizations of private schools, including PABSON, N-PABSON and HISSAN, said in a joint statement on Thursday that the first phase of their agitation has concluded and that they will now launch the second phase of protests to pile pressure on the government.

Private school operators are demanding the removal of provisions requiring schools to be run on a not-for-profit basis and mandating full scholarships from the Bill. They argue that such provisions would not only discourage private investment but also affect the quality of education.

As part of their protest, private schools plan to stage a symbolic protest by carrying black flags on school buses on September 1.

Similarly, on September 2, private school associations will hold internal meetings to review the protests and prepare their next steps. On September 3, they will organize nationwide demonstrations.

“If the government failed to address our demands by September 3, we will be compelled to shut down private schools indefinitely,” they said.