Miscellaneous
DoE to facilitate local govts in holding grade 8 exams
The Department of Education has asked all its subordinate offices to support the local level bodies to conduct the grade eight examinations scheduled for March next year.The Department of Education has asked all its subordinate offices to support the local level bodies to conduct the grade eight examinations scheduled for March next year.
Though the Constitution of Nepal authorises the local governments to manage education up to the secondary level, the Central Examination Board has been authorisd to conduct the examinations of grade 10 and above following the eighth amendment to the Education Act-1972. The provincial offices will conduct the Secondary Education Examination, while the central office will hold the grade 12 exams.
Issuing a press statement on Thursday, the DoE has asked all the District Education Offices and Regional Directorates to support the local governments in their respective areas to conduct the grade eight examinations starting this year. The Local Level Governance Act envisions having an education committee led by the chairperson of the local level units which will coordinate in managing the school level education.
Similarly, each local unit will have an education unit, headed by a section officer in the rural municipality and an under-secretary at municipality, for managing the administrative works. The MoE has already empowered the local level units to provide salaries for the teachers in their areas.
“As local governments are already in function, all the subordinate bodies now on are directed to support them in conducting the grade eight examinations,” reads the DoE statement.
The local level units will now on conduct the exam and publish the results. The DEOs, which have technical expertise and experience of conducting the exams for decades, will now be transferred to the local levels.
The constitution grants the local level units legislative, executive and judicial rights. The Local Governance Act, however, delegates them the authority to manage teachers, staff and education up to the basic level.
The CEB, tasked with conducting school examinations, is preparing to delegate the authority to respective schools to conduct grade 11 tests. The eighth amendment to the Education Act-1972 dissolved the Higher Second Education Board, to be replaced by the CEB. This also necessitated board exams only in grades 10 and 12, instead of grades 10, 11 and 12 as happens at present.