Schools across the country remained closed Thursday due to the nationwide shutdown called by the student and teacher’s wing of the ruling CPN (Maoist).

Around 7.8 million students studying in 35,500 public and private schools across the country have been affected due to the closure.

Saying that the government turned a deaf ear to their demands that include payment to private school teachers in proportion with public school teachers’ salary and appointment letters, the All Nepal Teachers Association and the All Nepal National Independent Students Union (Revolutionary) called the nationwide strike beginning today.

Meanwhile, during a meeting with representatives of Private and Boarding School’s Organization of Nepal (PABSON) at his Baluwatar residence, Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala today said that the problem seen in the education sector would be resolved once the education minister returned to Katmandu from Maldives on Monday.

Earlier today sister organisations of Nepal Workers’ and Peasants’ Party (NWPP), Nepal Revolutionary Students Union and Nepal Revolutionary Teachers’ Union, took out a rally in Bhaktapur in protest against the educational strike.

Meanwhile, the government has formed a three-member team headed by Laba Prasad Tripathi, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Education and Sport, to negotiate with the protesting organisations.

The committee comprises head of the Department of Education Janardan Nepal and ministry official Sushil Pandey.