KATHMANDU, June 24: All 277 students studying at Bishwo Niketan Secondary School, Tripureshwor filled the SEE exam form. They collected their admit cards, but two of the students did not show up for the examination. They were out of contact. 

The school’s principal, Herambaraj Kadel, inquired about them. 

“The students were good  in studies,” he said.

‘I inquired about the students. One of them was absent due to illness and the other one was out of contact,” Kadel told Republica, adding, “Even though some students had the potential to pass the SEE, they did not attend exams due to family reasons.”

He said that lots of students fill the exam forms, but two to four students from struggling communities do not show up for the exams every year.

This problem prevails in every school in the country, officials of the National Examination Board stated.

Out of total students who filled the SEE exam form this time, 37000 students did not show up for the exams, according to Nandalal Paudel, the Controller of Secondary Education Examination Board. 

The students filled the exam form for 2023-24 SEE examination in around October-November, 2023. The recent SEE examinations were held in March-April, 2024. 

In between this period, students from low economic status, who were not able to meet the study expenses, did not show up for the exams as their priority becomes nurturing their families who struggle to make ends meet.

It is evident that they leave their studies and go to the labor market.

This time, out of 500,000 students who filled the SEE examination forms, 37000 did not appear for the examination, according to Poudel. 

Among the students who filled the examination form, only 467000 showed up for the examination, the Examination Controller, Poudel, told Republica.  He also said, “It’s not a matter to be taken lightly. Such a large number of students who filled the exam forms disappeared within 5 months.” 

He added that those students belong to the struggling communities. 

“They left their studies and went to the labor market. Although the state managed to provide free education through a mechanism, it failed to provide essential services to the students, due to which students were forced to leave their studies in the hope of sustaining their families and making ends meet.”

The principals of many schools say that there has been a decline in the quality of education, and teaching and learning in the classroom is deteriorating. In addition, students start panicking due to frequent changes in the examination system and hence do not participate in the exams.

Before 2072, students had to score 32 to pass the exam. Even during this time, the results of public schools were not satisfactory. 

Kandel says that the prospect of quality education in the past has now been devalued by the 1.6 point grading system. 

Meanwhile, Paudel suggested that the state should focus on improving the educational activities of schools. Controller of Examinations Paudel suggests that classroom teaching and learning should be made child-friendly, students should be encouraged to continue school and teachers should be managed at the secondary level.

 
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