Private schools, colleges shut across Nepal to protest arson

Kathmandu: Over 7.5 million students in Nepal`s private educational institutions were affected by a nation-wide strike to protest various incidents of arson carried out by Maoist linked student bodies. All private schools, colleges and professional institutions across the country were affected due to the strike called by Association for Private Educational Institutions of Nepal (APEIN).

Recently, attacks were carried out by the Maoist aligned students bodies on a college bus belonging to Golden Gate College in Battisputali of Kathmandu and three vehicles belonging to DAV Sushil Kedia Vishwo Bharati Higher Secondary School of Lalitpur district of Kathmandu, in two separate incidents. The student activists aligned to ruling UCPN-Maoist burnt a bus belonging to the Golden Gate College on Friday after the management prevented their organisation to establish its unit in the college, saying that private schools and colleges do not allow any body affiliated to a political party to open its office inside its premises. Student activists aligned to the CPN-Maoist, the break-away faction of the UCPN-Maoist, had earlier vandalised three vehicles belonging to the DAV Sushil Kedia School for sacking two temporary teachers and conducting examinations according to the Indian Educational System. Ramesh Shilwal, Vice-chairman of Higher Secondary Schools Association-Nepal said that the strike was called to protest the ongoing donation terror and threat to private schools and to demand compensation for the damage caused by the arsons. PTI