Private schools will stop online schools from Thursday.
Private and Boarding School's Organization Nepal (PABSON) and National-PABSON (N-PABSON) issuing a joint statement on Wednesday have said online classes and distance learning will be stopped from Thursday.
The statement issued by PABSON Chairman Tikaram Puri and N-PABSON Chair Ritu Raj Sapkota says the teachers will be on unpaid leave.
The private schools had started teaching with use of alternative measures since mid-June. They have said that they could not continue the teaching methods due to financial problems. They have also pointed that the Education Ministry could not provide solid outlet as per the agreement reached on July 5.
"Keeping the schools shut is the appropriate alternative due to financial and professional problems," the statement reads. "We have been forced to take the painful decision of stopping all kinds of activities related to alterative teaching from Shrawan 1 (July 16) and keep the staffers on unpaid home leave."
The Education Ministry on June 23 had urged private schools to not charge fees when the schools are shut down.
The ministry had issued the statement in response to the joint statement issued by PABSON and N-PABSON urging guardians to pay fees even when the schools are shut down.
The country is in lockdown since March 24 due to COVID-19 lockdown. Schools were shut down a week earlier.
The promoters had urged guardians to pay fees pointing that they are teaching through alternative arrangements even during the lockdown and the schools are facing financial crisis. It had pointed at the fate of over 200,000 teachers and staffers in private schools and added that schools operating in rented premises are struggling to pay even the rent. It had also mentioned that the government has not provided any help to the sector.
