Protests shut Nepal schools

About 8,000 private schools in Nepal have been closed indefinitely because of a protest by students demanding lower fees for education.

A group representing the schools says classes cannot continue because protesters have locked up the administration offices.

Last week, a coalition of seven Nepalese students' unions said that activists would shut down the head offices of all schools charging tuition of more than about seven dollars a month.

They also demand that boarding schools set a side 25% of places for students from remote areas.

Nepal has seen frequent protests at its schools and universities - in December, more than 4,000 schools in Kathmandu were shut for two weeks over demands for lower tuition by a student group affiliated with Maoist rebels.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service