Kathmandu, June 17

This year’s Secondary Education Examination that replaced School Leaving Certificate exams two years ago has witnessed poor results compared to  last year. Education experts, however, do not blame the results on the new grading system, but find fault with the teachers’s traditional mindset.

“With our school education evaluation practice changed into letter grading system, we have witnessed poor results in SEE this year,” admitted Prof Dr Bidhya Nath Koirala, an education expert, adding, “The grading system is not the reason for poor results. The real issue lies in our teachers’ traditional mindset that they have inherited from the previous education system.

Teachers, school administration, parents as well as students need to put in concerted efforts to improve the performance of students, Koirala posited.

After introduction of the letter grading system, the teachers developed the concept that  it was not necessary for them to teach students as they were not going to fail the exams, anyway, Koirala argued.

He further went on to say that some teachers were not competent enough to teach subjects, especially related to language and literature.

According to SEE results published yesterday, of total 4,63,166 students appearing in the examination, 64,577 regular students got Grade D, while 10,84,64 got Grade D plus.

Especially in language and literature, less than 23 per cent students received less than D plus while in technical subjects, like Science and Mathematics, more than 30 per cent students attained less than D plus. Last year, three per cent students received A plus, while 2.26 per cent students attained A plus this year. “Comparing and analysing the  SEE results of these two years, the results in coming years will be even worse,” said Prof Dr Mana Prasad Wagle.

“On the basis of  Grade X final results, we have been determining the quality and standard of educational system in the country, but this year’s poor results hint at the truth that the current education system in the country is not in a good shape,” Wagle added.