Kathmandu, June 23:

The increased pass percentage in the SLC examination this year doesn’t mean that there was an improvement in the quality of education, speakers at a programme said here today.

Educationist Dr Bidhaya Nath Koirala said the increment in the number of pass percentage of the students by 5.09 this year was not the measurement of quality education in real sense.

“More needs to be done to bring the education in public schools on par with the private schools,” he said, adding that the commercialisation of education should be discouraged.

President of the All Nepal National Independent Students’ Union-Revolutionary Lekh Nath Neupane said more students passed SLC exams this year not due to the change in the syllabus, but because of the political change in the country.

As the country ushered to new era following the political change, it was normal that its effect could be seen in the education sector, he said. The government should discuss with all the stakeholders to make laws friendly for education sector, he said.

President of the Private and Boarding Schools’ Organisation Nepal Bhoj Bahadur Shah said, “More students passed SLC examination this time due to the less burden on the student, as they just had to study the Grade X syllabus.”

Shah urged all not to analyse the private schools negatively, as there were many positive changes that the private schools had brought in.

President of the Guardians’ Association of Nepal Suprabhat Bhandari claimed that evaluation system in SLC examination was outdated. “There should be a grading system to mark the intelligence of the students.” He said that the lack of textbooks had been affecting the study in government-run schools.