Thousands of teachers protest in Nepal against education bill, shutting schools across the country

By BINAJ GURUBACHARYA
Associated Press

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Schools for millions of students in Nepal are closed as tens of thousands of teachers protest in the capital against an education reform bill in parliament. Teachers have been demonstrating in Kathmandu since Wednesday against the School Education Bill while teachers’ groups negotiate with government leaders over changes to the legislation. The teachers oppose provisions that would shift government-run schools to local control, saying it would lower their status, and scrap many temporary teacher positions. The teachers blocked the main street leading from the parliament building to key government ministries, disrupting traffic in the heart of the capital. Hundreds of police in riot gear blocked the road leading to parliament with barbed-wire barricades.