New exam pattern blamed for poor SLC performance

Post Report

KATHMANDU, July 20- Various experts related to education sector on Friday cited the new examination pattern and heavy workload on the students as some of the reasons behind the dismal performance in this year’s School Leaving Certificate (SLC) examinations.

Speaking at an interaction programme on What went wrong with the 2001 SLC organized by the Education Journalists’ Group (EJG) at the capital, Chandra Bahadur Khadka, former Controller of Examination and Under Secretary at the Ministry of Education said that the rules framed by the government to take action against the schools which produce nil results have never been implemented.

Citing a very poor performance of just 31.62 percent result this year, he also urged academicians and teachers to be serious and cautious on the disappointing performance by government schools where a record number of students have failed.

Dr Shah Dev Bhatta, Controller of Examinations, outlining the historical trend of SLC results said, "The schools which have abundant resources, a team of talented teachers and the course is completed in time, results have always been encouraging."

According to some estimate, government schools have suffered the most in the SLC exams. Of the total of 86.4 percent and 80.7 percent results obtained by the private and boarding schools in the year 2055 BS and 2056 BS, government schools recorded just 44.4 percent and 41. 7 percent and the performance of the government schools this academic year (2057-2058) could be worst.

Dr Bhatta cited the contents of new course and "specification grid " on the basis of examination reform system which question setters were directed to set the questions as responsible for the downward trend in the SLC. "The curriculum had been so devised to achieve qualitative result," Dr Bhatta added.

Hridayaraj Bajracharya of Tribhuwan University urged for a standardized item bank to set questions on a holistic diagnosis as the basis of exams and urged to make the purpose of SLC exams work-oriented instead of doing disservice to the students by limiting their pass percent.

While a speaker who is also a teacher from Palpa presented a very bleak picture of the schools in his district saying that only three students out of the total of 65 students got through the exams from his school.

Most of the students in Palpa who failed had to walk daily three hours to reach their schools and the remoteness and unavailability of qualified teachers in the government schools in the rural districts added to their already miserable situation responsible for the appalling result.

Various student leaders and speakers cited the flaw in the new examination pattern and blamed the policy-makers for the disparity among the students of government schools and private schools and also among rural schools and urban schools. They also cited the stringent 220 working days and the burdensome subjects added up in the new academic year along with frequent closures of schools as responsible for the dismal performance of the students among others.

Revenue up in Biratnagar customs

BIRATNAGAR, July 20 (RSS)-The Biratnagar Customs Office has collected Rs. two billion and 933.8 million of revenue in the fiscal year 057/58 BS.

The amount is 24. 74 percent or 581.9 million higher than the previous year. Last fiscal year, the office had collected Rs. two billion 351.8 million.

The increase in revenue is because of five percent charges levied on the raw materials of all export-oriented industries instead of providing facilities of bank guarantee as in the previous year and because of the increase in import due to the mobilisation of army at customs check points for the last three months.

Similarly, the increase is also due to evaluation of goods to be imported on the basis of the actual transaction value and checking of goods to be exported arriving any time so as to meet the target of HMG and facilities provided to imported goods until 4.00 p.m.

Target was not met as only one billion and 347 million was raised in the fiscal year 057 /058 or only 94.05 percent as against the target of one billion and 430 million as regards the customs duty, the office said.

Similarly, the office collected Rs. one billion and 416 million or 108.46 percent as compared to the target of collecting Rs. one billion and 300 million as Value Added Tax (VAT) during FY 057/58.

Likewise, the Internal Revenue Office Biratnagar also collected Rs. 567.5 million in the FY 057/058. Of the amount, Rs. 202 million was from VAT and Rs 965.5 million from excise duty, the office said.

The office had a target of raising a total of Rs 555 million including Rs. 200 million in VAT and Rs 355 million as excise duty. Last fiscal year, the office had raised Rs 529.5 million as total revenue.

According to the office, the tax payers also increased from 1,364 in FY 056/057 to 1517 in FY 057/58.