Bhaktapur, April 17 -- All schools within Bhaktapur Municipality will continue operating under the existing academic calendar, in defiance of a federal government directive, officials said.

Mayor Sunil Prajapati said the federal decision on education was "impractical" and could not be implemented locally. He argued that adding 52 extra holidays in a year would make it difficult to complete the academic course on time. He also said the federal government should not interfere in the constitutional authority of local governments and should consult them before making decisions.

A meeting of the municipal executive on Thursday decided that all community, private and guthi-run schools would operate as per the pre-approved academic calendar. C...