December 9, 2002	Monday	Shawwal 4,1423

KATHMANDU, Dec 8: More than 4,000 schools in Nepal will shut down this week because of a strike called by a pro-Maoist student union, officials said.

Around 2,000 private and 2,000 public education institutions in the Kathmandu Valley will close from Monday to Friday affecting more than 500,000 students, officials from the Private and Boarding Schools’ Organisation of Nepal (PABSON) said.

An indefinite strike for the Kathmandu Valley beginning Monday has been called by the All Nepal National Free Students’ Union-Revolutionary (ANNFSU-R) who are demanding free schooling up to the age of 16 and a reduction of tuition fees in the private schools.

The union has also threatened a strike across the whole country on December 12 and 13 if their demands are not met before December 9.

There have been bomb attacks on schools and school buses during previous strikes, so the authorities have decided to close schools as a precaution.

“We have decided to close our schools hoping the government and the Maoists will settle the crisis within the five days and clear the state of confusion and uncertainty pending further decision,” PABSON president Rajesh Khadka said.

To head off the strike the government last week announced a raft of new education measures.—AFP