The examinations for the School Leaving Certificate Examinations (SLC), which is also considered to be the Iron Gate of secondary education system in Nepal, began yesterday. A total of 379,337 students, including two Pakistani students, have also been allowed to appear for the exams. The government introduced the concept of ‘open school’ to be effective from the current academic year in order to help international students staying in Nepal and students unable to attend school for several reasons, and this would open up opportunities for them to pursue higher education in Nepal or elsewhere.

Furthermore, the government has also made the provision of additional one and a half hours in the original three hours exam time for students with disabilities, in order to help them avail of the educational opportunities. This would indeed serve the government’s policy of empowering people across the country by making education easily accessible. However, there are certain anomalies in the educational system, especially in view of the textbooks and the teaching methodology used in the government and the private schools, which need to be upgraded so that the recent introduction of open educational system may achieve the desired result. As a generalised test to access the aptitude of students of secondary level, the government needs to make necessary changes in the academic curriculum commensurate with international standards and domestic needs.