KATHMANDU: The National Examination Board has postponed the Grade 12 exams following pressure from the Nepal Teachers’ Federation.
Originally scheduled to begin this Thursday, the exams will now start on May 4, according to board chair Dr. Mahashram Sharma.
Earlier on Tuesday morning, the board had decided to proceed with the exams on the scheduled dates by mobilizing administrative staff.
The decision faced widespread criticism after the Teachers’ Federation announced a boycott of the exams.
Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, who is also overseeing the education portfolio, instructed the board to defer the exams.
Following the board’s announcement, discussions continued throughout the day among officials.
On Tuesday evening, a delegation led by Dr. Sharma met with Prime Minister Oli at Baluwatar, where he advised postponing the exams for a few days.
The initial decision had given responsibility to the District Exam Coordination Committees, led by Chief District Officers, to conduct the exams using available personnel.
However, the Teachers’ Federation had urged all teachers and education staff to refrain from participating in exam duties.
The Federation has been staging protests in Kathmandu since Chaitra 20 and declared an educational strike from Chaitra 25.
Education Minister Bidya Bhattarai, who had been engaged in dialogue with the protesting teachers, resigned on Monday citing a lack of support from the Prime Minister.
Nearly 500,000 students are expected to participate in the Grade 12 exams.
A total of 1,591 exam centers were designated, including one in Japan.
To manage the process, the board had planned to mobilize around 1,800 to 2,000 staff, one office assistant per center, and 20,000 security personnel.
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