Depoliticizing schools: Kathmandu Metropolis decides to ban political activities at the premises of public schools

Nepal’s political parties have long been using students of public schools to expand the cadre base of their student wings. The latest decision of Kathmandu Mayor Balen Shah can be a crucial move toward making schools a zone of peace.

NL Today

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Kathmandu: Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) has decided to ban political activities at the premises of public schools. 

The metropolitan city has received complaints with evidence that some political parties and their sister organizations are running programs in schools against the existing laws of the country,” reads the statement issued by KMC on Monday. “The serious attention of KMC has been drawn to the issue.”

“It is to notify that hereinafter no political party and their sister organization is allowed to carry out activities inside school premises,” states the statement. “If such activities are found in the course of monitoring, the KMC will take departmental action against the Head Teacher of the concerned school.”

The decision of the KMC has received overwhelmingly positive comments on social media. Many believe that it could lead to establishing schools as zones of peace in a real sense.

Nepal’s traditional political parties have long been forming students’ unions to expand their cadre base from public schools. 

Traditional parties also do not hesitate to use students during rallies and demonstrations. It is a common phenomenon in Nepal to halt regular classes of public schools to organize events by political parties. The KMC decision is believed to end such practices. 

Earlier, KMC had warned of actions against teachers of public schools, if found involved in any political activities.