It is not an assumption that the country’s education is in a shambles. The recent results of School Education Examination (SEE) held for the year 2024 have laid bare the structural shortcomings of the education system. The secondary education greatly shapes students’ academic aptitude for the pursuit of higher studies. But sadly only 47.86 per cent of them have got through the SEE while 52.13 per cent have been categorised as Non-Graded (NG). Those who flunked in the exams have a chance to attend upgrade examinations so that they will not miss one year in higher secondary level. The disappointing results must have impelled the authorities, policy makers, experts and teachers to scratch their head as to where the things went wrong and how to fix them. This year the National Examination Board (NEB) adopted the Letter Grading Guidelines - 2078 BS, a main reason that increased the number of non-graded students. Earlier, it had applied grading system in publishing results.
As per the guidelines, the students have to secure 35 marks each in practical exam (25 marks) conducted by the concerned schools and theoretical exams (75 marks) held by the Board. Earlier, they easily obtained 35 marks in aggregate when the marks of both exams were combined. In the practical exams, the students succeeded because the teachers had their role in alloting the grades. As the students were compelled to secure 35 per cent in theoretical exams, they could not make it. The letter grading system has shown that the students have taken the SEE exams for granted and could not demonstrate their competence. However, other major issues nagging the secondary education might be overshadowed if we just blame the students for their poor performance in the examinations.
Several factors come into play to impact the teaching and learning activities in schools. Lack of competent teachers, proper infrastructure, monitoring and accountability have put the secondary education in the doldrums. The government's investment in education is insufficient. According to a study, the country now needs more than 57,000 teachers to meet a reasonable teacher-student ratio. Many community schools could not fare better in the SEE because they have shortage of qualified teachers, basic facilities and sound teaching environment. This is why majority of the students who failed in the SEE exams are from the community schools. On the other hand, private schools have outperformed the state-run schools. Here is an irony: teachers from community schools enjoy better salary, perks and facilities compared to their counterparts working in the private schools.
Teachers working in the community schools are accused of involving in political activities and not giving adequate time to their students. This is partly true. Teachers engaged in politics fail to take classes, depriving their students of learning lessons of particular subjects. Outgoing education minister Sumana Shrestha introduced a policy to discourage teachers from getting involved in politics so that they will devout more time to teach their students. Teachers also need to be trained and updated about the latest teaching methods, knowledge and skills. The growing disparity between the education of community and private schools signifies that the state is not serious about resolving the structural problems facing the education system. Citizens have the right to education, and the state has obligation to impart quality education to the students, enabling them to excel in the competitive world.