KATHMANDU, July 30: The supplementary exams of the School Leaving Certificate (SLC) started across the nation from Friday. A total of 75,000 students sat for the exams in 170 centers.
The results of SLC exams, the last SLC for Grade 10, were published about month and a half. The Office of the Controller of Examinations (OCE), which has been already scrapped after the amendment of the Education Act, held the supplementary exams for the students who scored grades D or E in two subjects as per the letter grading system.
Out of the total 588,152 students who appeared for the SLC exams, 147,583 including 39,257 students from the exempted group have been considered eligible to sit for the supplementary SLC exams from July 29 to August 5, according to the Ministry of Education (MoE). All the exams will be held from 8 am to 11am in the morning. The ministry had earlier set 192 exam centers for 147,583 students.
“However, only about 75,000 students filled the forms and we merged the exam centers to 170 due to the drop in the number of students. The supplementary exams began in the peaceful manner in the country,” said Krishna Prasad Kapri, controller of the OCE, which will conduct the exams until the National Examination Board takes over its works.
“The exam of Compulsory English was held today while exams of Compulsory Nepali and Maths will be held tomorrow and the day after tomorrow respectively,” he said.
According to the OCE, the exams are being held in 170 exam centers based at the district headquarters.
“An invigilator is assigned for 20 students each to conduct the exams,” Kapri added. The results of the supplementary exams will be published by September this year.”
The ministry officials said that the government was yet to adopt the full option based supplementary exams.
“It is the decision of the National Curriculum Development and Evaluation Council, which is headed by the education minister. The OCE doesn't have authority to take a new decision,” OCE officials claimed, adding, “It is a good opportunity for students to increase their grades.”
The concept of supplementary exams is a chance given to upgrade the grades, said the experts.
“However, it is inappropriate to compare this system to the developed countries where students are given opportunity to take supplementary exams on whatever subject they wish to,” they argued. “They get opportunity to upgrade the grade points of the subjects with low grades.”
This is the first time grading system has been applied in 82 years of history of the SLC exams. The government recently amended the Education Act that provisions holding the SLC exams in Grade 12 and regional/provincial board exams in Grade 10.
Supplementary SLC exams to begin from tomorrow
