As a teacher and parent, I fully agree with Sarita Khatri (Letters, #149) against the political targetting of schools by student unions. Let us look at the students' main demands one by one:
1. All private schools to immediately register as trusts and not as private companies.
Unless the constitution is changed, it is unconstitutional of the 'student leaders' to make such a demand.
2. Uniformity in the curriculum in private and government schools and text books.
All private and government schools are required to take the Grade VIII, X and SLC and therefore use the government curriculum. To think that the essence of learning can be captured in just one or two books is a folly only found in Nepal. Why put a cap on knowledge?
3. School fee ceiling.
The government gets its share of tax from private schools, and can plough this money into bringing up the standard of other schools. If the schools are run as trusts, why raise this issue?
4. Full scholarships for 25 percent of students from underprivileged families.
How can this be done if there is a ceiling on fees? Ideally, children who can't afford good education will be subsidised by parents who can.
5. Transparent accounts must be shared with parents.
This demand does not have to be articulated for schools that are under the trust law, and schools under the company act are not obliged to share their transactions and are protected by company law. Parents can evaluate quality and determine whether the education is
worth it.
6. Investigation team from Pabson, parents and student unions will inspect schools.
The School Supervisor from the District Education Office is supposed to do these inspections and hardly makes any visits. This is the job of the DEO, not some ad hoc political group.
7. Limit student numbers per class.
What is the magic number? Do people making these demands know the correlation between numbers and structure of schools?
8. Extra curricular activities every Friday.
Why every Friday, why not every Wednesday? How long, and what kind of activities? Who will pay?
9. Children of martyrs and victims of war educated free of cost.
How many? From where?
These demands show it is not about educational reforms, but about politics, pure and simple. Political parties brought this country to ruin, and the Maoists have made orphans of many children. Private schools have been hounded for doing the government\'s job. Now they have to come to the rescue, and that too under the barrel of a gun.

Sarad Rai,
Satdobato