The 2025

Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...

Teachers' Protest was a nationwide strike and series of demonstrations organized by public

school teacher A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. w ...

s across Nepal during April 2025. The movement was led primarily by the Nepal Teachers' Federation (NTF) in opposition to the government’s proposed School Education Bill, which teachers argued undermined job security, centralized teacher management, and disregarded previously signed agreements with educators' unions.

Background

Following Nepal's transition to federalism in 2015, educators raised concerns over the decentralization of teacher recruitment and management to

local government Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of governance or public administration within a particular sovereign state. Local governments typically constitute a subdivision of a higher-level political or administrative unit, such a ...

s. Teachers' unions claimed that this led to inconsistent standards and increased political interference. Although a new education bill was proposed in 2023, it remained unpassed for over a year and failed to reflect prior agreements between the government and teachers’ associations.

Protests and Demands

On April 2, 2025, the NTF launched an indefinite strike involving teachers from all 77 districts. Protesters assembled in large numbers in Kathmandu, notably around Maitighar and New Baneshwor. The strike led to widespread school closures and disruptions to daily activities in the capital. Teachers demanded

job security Job security is the probability that an individual will keep their job; a job with a high level of security is such that a person with the job would have a small chance of losing it. Many factors threaten job security: globalization, outsourcing ...

for temporary and relief quota teachers, equal pay and benefits as civil servants, inclusion in social security, and rejection of the delegation of teacher management to local governments.

Major Events

- On April 2, 2025, the Nepal Teachers' Federation launched a peaceful protest in Kathmandu demanding the swift passage of the School Education Bill. The Federation issued a press statement urging the government to table the bill in

Parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

without delay. - On April 14, 2025, mass rallies in Kathmandu disrupted public transportation. Large gatherings were seen in areas such as Maitighar Mandala and New

Baneshwor, Kathmandu Baneshwor () is the largest residential area of Kathmandu, Nepal. The area is composed of New-Baneshwor, Mid-Baneshwor, and Old-Baneshwor, Baneshwor Height, Minbhawan, Shankhamul, Bhimsengola and Thapa Gaun. Major landmarks of Baneshwor include th ...

. - On April 21, 2025, Education Minister Bidya Bhattarai submitted her resignation to the Prime Minister amid intensifying protests. - On April 22, 2025, the

National Examination Board (Nepal) 'National Examinations Board () is the board that organizes the Higher Secondary examination and education in Nepal. It is transformed from previous Higher Secondary Education Board (HSEB) according to the Education Act (8th amendment) of 2073 ...

announced the postponement of Grade 12 exams, which were originally scheduled to begin on April 24. - On April 27, 2025, at least 27

teacher A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. w ...

s, one journalist, and several police officers were injured in violent clashes near

Singha Durbar Singha Durbar () is a palace in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. The palace complex lies in the centre of Kathmandu, to the north of Babar Mahal and Thapathali Durbar and east of Bhadrakali Temple (Kathmandu), Bhadrakali Temple. This palace wa ...

in Kathmandu during the 26th day of the protest. - On April 30, 2025, the protest officially ended after a nine-point agreement was signed between Education Minister Raghuji Pant and the Nepal Teachers' Federation. The agreement guaranteed job security, recognized previous commitments, and included a commitment to pass the bill promptly.

Government Response

Initially, the government called for dialogue, but multiple negotiation rounds failed to reach an agreement. Human rights groups criticized excessive use of force during protests. On April 27, talks resumed but remained inconclusive.

Resolution

On April 30, 2025, after 29 days of protest, the NTF and the government reached a nine-point agreement, leading to the suspension of the strike. The agreement included provisions for job security, legal recognition of past agreements, and timely passage of the School Education Bill.

References