Tensions flared at Pokharia Secondary School in Biratnagar Metropolitan City-3 on Saturday morning as parents gathered to demand an entrance exam for student admissions. Despite the school already distributing application forms without planning an entrance test, parents had been pressuring the administration for days to conduct one.
Bowing to the pressure, the school scheduled the exam for 11 AM on Saturday, with a public notice issued two days earlier. However, parents began arriving as early as 9 AM, with many traveling from distant districts like Dhanusha, Saptari, Siraha, Ilam, and Panchthar.
Unrest erupts as teacher interrupts entrance test
Amid preparations for the exam, a masked individual entered the school premises, raising suspicions among staffers and teachers due to his unusual behavior. Upon questioning, he identified himself as Indra Chauhan, vice principal at Adarsha Secondary School in Biratnagar and a member of the Nepal Teachers’ Federation.
Chauhan began recording videos, insisting that the entrance exam should be halted immediately. "The government has not addressed our demands. If you don’t listen, we will call more protesters," he warned. Parents and school staffers objected to his filming, but he continued, escalating tensions.
Protesting teachers clash with parents
Chauhan refused to back down, declaring that the exam would not proceed under any circumstances. He later returned with 8 to 10 fellow teachers, leading to heated arguments with parents, prompting the police to intervene.
Parents accused the protesting teachers of creating unnecessary chaos. Binod Kumar Mandal, a parent from Saptari, criticized the Federation for disrupting the process after parents and students had already arrived. "Teachers’ demands are valid, but harassing students during exams is unacceptable," he said.
School proceeds with exam despite protests
Despite the unrest, the school conducted the entrance exam with 2,430 students participating. Krishna Prasad Gautam, chairman of the school management committee, stated that the decision was made due to overwhelming parental pressure.
Pokhariya Secondary School, one of Nepal’s top government schools, attracts students from across Madhesh and Koshi provinces. The exam, originally set for April 16, was rescheduled for April 19 after the Federation warned of blacklisting any teachers who participated in conducting it.
Ultimately, with parents’ support, the school successfully conducted the exam, reaffirming its commitment to accessibility amid ongoing teacher protests.
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