BILL TO OVERHAUL EDUCATION SECTOR IN PARLIAMENT Kathmandu, 5 May: Education Minister Dina Nath Sharma yesterday [Thursday] submitted the much-awaited Bill to overhaul the education sector and address protracted issues of temporary teachers, to the Parliament Secretariat, The Himalayan Times reports. The Education Act eighth amendment Bill, which got Cabinet approval two months ago, was sent to the Parliament Secretariat, hours before members of the Baburam Bhattarai Cabinet, including Sharma, put in papers to pave the way for a government of national consensus. Government sources said the minister was holding on to the Bill, which he strove hard to prepare, with an intention of bringing an ordinance as he was expecting tough resistance from various quarters. Ordinances can be passed by the Cabinet when the Parliament is not in session, but needs House approval within six months. “We are hopeful that now the Parliament will now approve the Bill,” said Rojnath Pande, deputy spokesperson for the Ministry of Education. There are others who say that the fate of the Bill hangs in the balance as other parties, which are to to join the government soon, are yet to make their stance on the issue clear. Education experts said Minister Sharma had put in extra effort to prepare the Bill, which at least four of his predecessors failed to do. Earlier, when the Cabinet approved the Bill, teachers’ unions, backed by different political parties, protested the move saying that the provisions of the bill are not in the interest of teachers, who have been working as temporary staffers for decades. Keeping the pressure at bay, teacher-turned-minister Sharma had approved the bill prompting a weeklong strike of teachers, who even threatened of non-cooperation in conducting SLC exams. The teachers ended their strike following an agreement with the education ministry and major political parties to register amendment proposals to the Bill. As per the agreement, when the Bill is tabled at the Parliament, the teacher’s demands will be addressed in the amendment proposals. SRI LANKAN OFFICIAL ARRIVES SATRDAY Kathmandu, 5 May:: Sri Lankan Speaker Chamal Jayantha Rajapaksa is arriving Saturday on a three-day visit,- He will take part in the official 2556th Buddha Jayanti celebrations Sunday. The speaker will be the chief guest of Buddha Jayanti Celebrations at Lumbini organized by the Lumbini Development Trust. Nnnn MEDIA GOOGLE “If the resignation issue remains unresolved, we will hold a national assembly of NSU cadres and form a parallel committee within the union.” (Rishi Jung Shah, a student loyalist of student union loyal to Sher Bahadur Deuba, The Himalayan Times, 5 May) nnnn V