NEB postpones grade 12 board examinations for May 4

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Apr. 23: The National Examination Board (NEB) has decided to postpone the Grade 12 final examinations after the school teachers continued their Kathmandu-centric protest.

A meeting of the NEB on Tuesday evening decided to hold the examinations from May 4. NEB cited the ongoing national developments for the postponement of the examinations. 

Originally slated to begin from April 24, the examinations were deferred after Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli instructed the NEB officials to postpone them by a few days. 

The directive was issued during a meeting with Board Chairperson Mahashram Sharma and Education Secretary Deepak Kafle on Tuesday evening at the Prime Minister's official residence in Baluwatar.

 While the exact timetable for the rescheduled exams is yet to be made public, officials confirmed that the Board would finalise and release the updated schedule by Wednesday after an internal meeting.

Previously, the Examination Board remained firm on conducting the exams as scheduled on April 24, even exploring the use of all available mechanisms to proceed despite challenges. However, following the Prime Minister's directive, the Board has begun preparations to officially announce the revised dates.Earlier on Tuesday morning, the NEB had announced that the Grade 12 board examinations would be held as planned, despite mounting pressure from ongoing nationwide protests by teachers and the resignation tendered by Education 

Minister Bidhya Bhattarai.

An NEB meeting held on Tuesday morning decided to hold the examinations from April 24.  

NEB Chairperson Mahashram Sharma said that the board was committed to conducting the exams on schedule even by mobilising the civil servants.  But the decision drew criticism from all quarters. 

Acting President of the Nepal Civil Service Employees' Union, Uttam Katwal, said, "Civil servants are being mobilised for the Grade 12 examination. We disagree with this. We also support the teachers' movement."

Meanwhile, the Community School Management Committee Federation of Nepal also announced its support to the teachers' movement. It also urged the government and the concerned stakeholders to resolve the crisis through mutual dialogue and to send the teachers back from the streets to the classrooms without delay, demanding the immediate enactment of the School Education Bill.

Uncertainty had surrounded the examinations following a wave of protests led by the Teachers’ Federation from April 2, demanding immediate enactment of the long-awaited Education Bill and the integration of 18 categories of teachers under a unified administrative system.

Over the past three weeks, thousands of teachers have been parading from Maitighar to New Baneshwor every day, disturbing vehicular movements.