Results bring joy or disgrace. The SEE results are usually a topic of discussion. While it brings celebration in some homes, there might be places where youngsters feel defeated and downcast. But is there anyone who is curious to know about the validity and reliability of the results?

Most people’s focus is on the final results, from SEE to the master’s level. The education system remains primarily a paper and pencil test. Emphasis is on accumulation of knowledge rather than utilisation of it. Therefore, luck plays a role during the examinations if the questions are the ones you have prepared for.

Since the examinations are mostly written, teachers teach in a way so that the students pass the exams, not to have knowledge. Students are asked to write as much as they can in the exams, and many examiners are impressed to see a lot of writing.

Our education system is quite interesting. We are taught by certain teachers. The questions are designed by some others who have no clue as to how we have learned things. Then, the copies are checked by some other teachers. And we expect the final results to be fair. We study for the exams alone, and on the basis of that, we determine whether someone has enough knowledge or not.

Practice makes a man perfect. But teachers have become perfect in teaching the wrong way. They read theories on teaching but rarely apply them in the classroom. When they are questioned about their teaching strategies, they boast about the years spent in teaching. Students too have become perfect in cheating - cheating their teachers, cheating their lives.

Learner’s autonomy has become buzz word for some decades now. There has been a shift from the teacher-centric method to the student-centred method. However, in Nepal, the teacher-centred method is prevalent. Therefore, a student’s learning, most of the time, depends on the teachers, but the teachers have little time to prepare for classes.Once a teacher told us that he was still using the slides that he had prepared seven years back.

Question papers say students are required to give answers in their own words. In reality, the examiner tries to tally the answers with his/her own knowledge and judges on the basis of that.

Should we really be happy about our results, especially in the social sciences? Time has come to change the system to bring credibility in our results.