Friday, December 08, 2006

SC Notice to Govt over Controversial Education Bill

The Supreme Court on Friday issued a show cause notice to the government in a case filed against the new controversial Bill to amend the Education Act 2028.
The parliament had last Friday endorsed the Bill giving legitimacy to the government’s bid to give permanent status to temporary teachers.
The Supreme Court also asked the defendants in the case PMO, education ministry, law ministry, and parliament secretariat to attend the court on December 14 for discussion on whether to issue a stay order on any new advertisement to fill the vacant teachers’ post as per the new Act.
Advocates Prakashmani Sharma, Raju Prasad Chapagain and Rama Pant Kharel had moved the court against the Bill saying it was against the proposition, guiding principles of the state and right of equality in the country’s 1990 constitution, and the Parliamentary Declaration 2006.
The petitioners have demanded the SC intervene to scrap the Act. They have claimed the Act was against the rule of law, human rights and universal principles of democracy as the Act would give space to de-meritocracy by giving permanent status to temporary teachers after ‘meeting certain procedure’.
They have also asked the SC to order the government to fill all the vacant teacher’s posts through competition and issue stay order to the government not to implement the Act. They have sought SC direction to the government to the government to bring special package for the professional development of temporary teachers who fail in free competition but are working for over five years rather than giving them permanent status automatically.
Student unions have since then organising regular protests against the bill and have threatened to call a general educational strike if the government did not revoke the Act.

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