Kathmandu: In an another blow to government efforts to make educational institutions a zone of peace, many schools in Kathmandu remained closed on Thursday due to a shutdown call by the Nepal Educational Republican Forum (NERF).

This is the fifth time schools in the Capital city stayed shut since the government on May 26 last year declared the education sector the zone of peace.

Thursday’s closure drew strong rebukes from the Private and Boarding School’s Organisation, Nepal (PABSON). The schools’ body termed the closure an irresponsible act.

The Kathmandu chapter of NERF had called the shutdown to “protest physical assault and verbal abuse” by the principal of Daffodil School, Kapan.

“Today’s closure has set a wrong precedent as schools were closed due to an internal conflict of a school. Many schools have internal conflicts,” said PABSON President Rajesh Khadka. “The row should have been resolved through talks among the school administration, guardians and teachers.”

The PABSON estimates more than 35,000 students of pre-primary to secondary level were forced to stay away from classes. The schools having their own vehicles feared attacks and closed classes, Khadka said.

Meanwhile, NERF President Hom Kumar Thapa said they were compelled to call the closure “to protest the attack on the teacher on Wednesday inside the school”. He claimed the principal had called fake guardians. “It is not good to call the victim teacher for talks and force him to resign inside the locked room.”

Teachers affiliated with the NERF also staged protests in front of the Daffodil school. Concerned over the matter, the Kathmandu District Education Office tried to settle the issue by reaching out to both sides on Thursday evening.

source: The Kathmandu Post, 2 Feb 2012