How many schools’ offices of officials have been padlocked by the students?

In Nepal, a row over tuition fees has closed down around 8,500 of the country’s public schools, affecting some one and a half million students. Schools were shut down indefinitely on Sunday to prevent protests by left-wing students against schools charging tuition of more than 500 rupees, $6 a month. Since Wednesday, students have padlocked the offices of officials at 160 schools that charge monthly fees in excess of 1,000 rupees. Students want an end to all but nominal fees and a more standardized curriculum around the Kingdom. They also want boarding schools to set aside 25% of their places to students from remote areas or underprivileged backgrounds. The protestors argue that tuition fees rarely helped students’ welfare or improved the quality of education. This is not the first protest at Nepal’s schools and universities. In December, more than 4,000 schools around the capital, Katmandu, were closed for two weeks over demands for lower tuition fees.