KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 30

Though various alternatives for conducting the stalled exams have been recommended, the government has failed to take a decision to hold Grade XII examinations.

The National Examination Board had suggested the government if holding examinations inside classrooms was not feasible, online exams could be conducted for 40 marks, with 20 marks allocated for practical exams and the total marks obtained by a student in Grade XI exams could be converted to 40 marks for the evaluation.

Another alternative suggested by the NEB was that evaluation and certification could be done through 50 per cent internal assessment and the remaining 50 per cent marks could be calculated by converting from the marks obtained by a student in Grade XI.

Although NEB’s suggestion has been forwarded to the Council of Ministers through the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, for its approval, no decision has been made regarding this so far and this has created confusion among the students and parents.

If a decision on this matter is not immediately made, then there will be slim possibility of conducting the exams before the Dashain festival.

Moreover, it would be difficult to conduct the exams in the mountainous districts after the Dashain due to the cold. In such a situation, experts suggest, the second alternative of the National Examination Board has a high chance of implementation.

Questions have been raised regarding the authenticity of the online exams said to be held for 40 marks as it was going to be an ‘open book exam’. Besides internet access for students in remote parts of the country was a major issue.

A few days ago, Minister of Education Giriraj Mani Pokharel had said that the ministry was for administering the examinations in one or the other form as the Grade XII exam is a board examination and it has to have international equivalence. If online exam is held, questions will arise on the duration of the exam and assigning of the exam centres.

A version of this article appears in e-paper on October 1 2020, of The Himalayan Times.