|
What after S.L.C?
This is probably the biggest question that
grips those who are about to cross this Iron Gate. While
some might have planned their career carefully and relevantly,
it is likely that many others simply haven’t. There is inadequate
knowledge and information about the career prospects available
in Nepal. And many students seem totally confused.
Career planning is a crucial part of student
life. A smartly selected career offers myriad opportunities
while a silly choice leads to nowhere. The changing global
employment scenario and involvement of technology in almost
all the sectors and a fierce competition among the talents
have made the job market quite tough. In this background,
holding a degree just doesn’t count much. One must possess
adequate knowledge about the field which he chooses to pursue
his career in. All that matters in this changing environment
is a wide knowledge, not just academic excellence.
With consistent reforms brought about in
the educational sector, Nepal has recently taken a giant
leap. There was a time when our elders had to go to some
Indian universities to pursue different studies. But now
times have changed and for good. We have medical colleges
all over the country vying to attract the students not only
from within the country but also from abroad. Various Nepali
colleges are getting affiliated to renowned foreign universities
thus introducing new and timely subjects and short-term
courses.
 Despite all odds in the country at the moment,
the S.L.C. examination 2060 is being held without any disturbances.
The number of students to take S.L.C. this year is 3, 17,001
(2, 26,347 regular and 90,654 exempted). There are 905 centers
this year. Last year, there were 851 centers with total
number of students to appear in exam being 2,308,72 even
though 2,84,024 students had filled the forms.
Apart from customary Commerce, Science,
Arts and Education study, Kathmandu Infotiser in this issue
explores some other happening faculties where students can
join in after the S.L.C. exams. And we have extended our
effort to include also something about the history of S.L.C.
in Nepal and the curriculum development.
TALE OF S.L.C.
IN NEPAL
With a motive to start primary English education in Nepal,
the then Prime Minister Jung Bahadur Rana established Durbar
High School in Ashwin 27, 1910 BS only to educate the children
of the Rana family. It was only in BS 1942 during the reign
of Bir Shamsher that Durbar High School was opened for the
public.
Durbar High School was affiliated to the
Calcutta University of India till 1980. During that period
students had to go to Calcutta to sit for the examinations
called ‘Entrance Exam’ (equivalent to today’s our S.L.C)
and the Nepali government used to bear all the expenses
on student accommodation and others during the students’
stay in Calcutta. In 1980 BS, Durbar High School got affiliated
to Patna University. Then on, the students had to go to
Patna to attend the S.L.C. examinations. In 1986 BS, Patna
University set up its Examination Center in Kathmandu. A
superintendent from Patna University would bring question
papers to the Durbar High School and, after exams, would
take them back for checking and announcing results. Till
1989 BS, Nepali language was not included in the S.L.C.
exams.
Finally, in 1950 BS, Patna University agreed
to set up its Examination Board in Nepal and included Nepali
language in its curriculum. The S.L.C. Board which was established
in Kartik 16, 1990 BS saw only 34 students taking the exam
in its initial conduct. The students were from Durbar High
School and Patan High School (established 77 years later
than the Durbar High School).
 During the reign of Dev Shamsher, about
50 schools inside the valley and around 180 schools opened
up in the other parts of the country. One teacher for fifty
students was the effort that the ruler put into practice.
He even offered scholarship of 9 muri paddy and Rs 5 annually
to further encourage students who joined the Durbar High
School.
After the advent of democracy in 1950
(2007 BS) in the country, the educational sector too saw
positive changes. In 2008 BS Nepali Siksha Parishad was
established. Then in BS 2009, National Education Board was
established. The educational sector of Nepal saw tremendous
surge during the period 2028 BS – 2046 BS when the pre-existing
educational standard got entirely revised and modeled to
somehow meet the international standard. It was in this
period that pre-primary, primary and secondary level education
got separated. Late King Birendra made the primary-level
education free of cost in BS 2031. And BS 2035 onwards the
S.L.C. toppers at national and district respectively got
Rs 30,000 and 15,000. After BS 2043, the award was raised
to Rs 50,000 and Rs 20,000.
HOW ARE S.L.C. EXAMS
HELD?
The questions for S.L.C. are made to cover all the aspects
of the curriculum and are designed to meet the efficiency
of the students with variant skills. The skilled teachers
from every subject make questions according to the curriculum
and then the questions are sent to specialists. After the
process, the questions get compiled, jumbled and are made
final. The final question sets are sent for printing and
are then seal-packed. After the examination dates are confirmed,
the board sends them to different examination centers.
 After the exam, the superintendent takes
all the answer papers after completing all the formal proceedings,
i.e. keeping record of the students and else, to the district
education office. The office sends the answer papers to
the destined place for evaluation. The answer papers, after
correction, come again to the office with mark slips. The
district office then sends those answer papers to the office
of controller of examinations for the computer process and
ultimately the results are carried out.
In case a student loses his certificates,
he can fill an application form with certain processing
charge. After 2052 BS, when decentralization process came
into effect, students can submit their application form
at their respective regional educational director’s office.
If a student is not satisfied with the marks
he has obtained, he/she can request for retotaling, for
which the student has to submit the forms within 45 days
of the results paying a fixed processing charge. The applications
from all the regions get collected at the controller’s office.
The people at the controller’s office pick out the related
answer papers from the collection and see for mistotalling.
To verify the student’s claim, three experts go through
the paper and ther report is cross-checked by a co-ordinator.
The paper then comes to the controller’s committee and if
the claim is found to be correct, the results are revised.
EMERGENCE
OF COLLEGES
Tri Chandra is the first college in Nepal and it was established
in BS 1969 by Chandra Shumsher. The college was initially
affiliated to the Calcutta University and it started its
I.Sc classes from BS 1977. Other colleges started to appear
when Tri Chandra College gave permission for the private
colleges. Tribhuvan University (TU) was established in BS
2015 and many colleges were set up affiliated to TU. Higher
Secondary Education (+2) started from BS 2049. And in BS
2056 Department of Education was formed.
EDUCATIONAL
BOARDS
The Higher Secondary Education in Nepal has got tremendous
admiration. This board has qualitative curriculum and good
recognition. All the HSEB affiliated colleges gather good
results annually. One advantage of studying under this board
is that the science students get choices to go for either
Engineering or Medicine after completing their +2 in Science
while the I.Sc students under TU can either go for engineering
or medicine after the completion of their studies. This
is because the students of I.Sc have to choose either biology
or mathematics in the first year itself and go for it in
the second year while the +2 students of science can choose
to study both bio and mathematics.
HISTORY OF
UNIVERSITIES AND BOARDS IN NEPAL
Mahendra Sanskrit University – since BS 2043
Kathmandu University – since BS 2048
Tribhuvan University – since BS 2015 Pokhara University
– since BS 2052
Purbanchal University – since BS 2051
HSEB – since BS 2049
AFTER S.L.C.
The wide-read subjects after S.L.C. are – Humanities, Commerce,
Science and Education.
These subjects have their own charm and
where they lead one is quite clear to many students. Besides
that, there are many more careers that the SLC graduates
can opt for. There are short term professional courses,
vocational trainings amd such. Some of such careers have
been discussed below:
FINE ARTS
Fine Art has a long history in Nepal. The first school established
was ‘Art School’ in 1903. The subject is the best for the
creative students. There are various Fine Arts colleges
in and outside the valley that provide intermediate courses
in Fine Arts. The Intermediate has classes on the basics
of drawing and painting, and sculpture. English and Nepali
are the compulsory subjects. While some colleges don’t offer
the graphic part of the designing, some like Institute of
Fine Arts, at Ganabahal, a newly opened Fine Arts institution,
has such offering. Further into the course, classes on classical
instruments, classical dances, textile designing and so
forth are available.
FORESTRY
Forestry is one of the fields that hold good future prospects
for the students who have completed S.L.C. This subject
is also a noble venture into forest conservation and constraining
the mounting environmental degradation. Nepal has two institutions
for forestry – one in Hetauda and another in Pokhara, both
affiliated to the Tribhuvan University, offering certificate
and bachelors level studies. The course provides advanced
training in forestry and natural resource, conservation
and management. Additional responsibilities include forestry
research and development of technology suitable for Nepal.
The campuses of the Institute of Forestry have laboratories,
woodlots, arboreta, horticulture research farms, computer
and other facilities.
Apart from the mainstream academic courses,
there are various vocational and short-term courses that
the students can pursue after completing S.L.C. Some of
the courses and related institutions are listed below:
HOSPITALITY
MANAGEMENT
Hospitality management is a growing field, globally. Colleges
like NATHM (Nepal Academy of Tourism and Hospitality Management)
offer access only after the completion of the intermediate
level. However, they also offer some short-term courses
on waiters, room boys, chefs, travel agents, house-keeping,
front office, barman etc. The students can extend their
career in different hotels, restaurants and at many administrative
units after sincerely going through these courses.
SANSKRIT
After the completion of S.L.C., students can opt for Sanskrit
studies. The Intermediate in Sanskrit is called Uttar Madhyama.
There are various colleges in and outside the valley that
offer the intermediate course, all being affiliated to the
Mahendra Sanskrit University. After the completion of Uttar
Madhyama, students can enroll to the bachelors’ level study,
i.e. Shastri and then masters level i.e. Acharya. Vedas,
Sanskrit Grammar, Literature, Astronomy are some of the
subjects that students have to study under the intermediate
curriculum. The study of Sanskrit leads students to sectors
like Archeology, Astrology, Astronomy, Anthropology and
so forth. The study of Sanskrit helps the students in historical
research as all the holy books and ancient scriptures of
Hinduism and Buddhism are found to be written in Sanskrit
language or its derivatives: for example Pali, which is
the language of major Buddhist scriptures, is derived from
Sanskrit.
CTEVT COURSES
The Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training
(CTEVT) is the policy formulation and coordinating body
for Technical Education and Vocational Training (TEVT) programs
in Nepal, which was constituted in 1989 (2045 BS). The CTEVT
is a national autonomous body committed to the growth and
development of basic and middle level workforce for Nepal.
Presently, CTEVT is responsible for the
operation of 4 different kinds of training programs. These
are the programs in technical schools, programs in technical
instructor training institutes, programs in Polytechnics
and programs in vocational training and community development
institutions. In addition, CTEVT is responsible for certifying
other training programs.
POLYTECHNICS
CTEVT has planned to establish five polytechnics in each
of the five development regions but up to now, Hetauda Polytechnic
(Hetauda Polytechnic Pilot Project), Tansen Nursing School
and School of Health Science, Bharatpur are running as polytechnic
institutes.
School of Health Science at Bharatpur, Chitwan
is the first Technical school (Polytechnic) under CTEVT
to produce technical manpower in general medicine This School
specially offers training on Health Assistant and minimum
requirement for the training is SLC passed candidates with
Science, Math and English subjects. It has annual enrollment
capacity of 60. Beside the regular teaching programs, the
school also has training program on Jeevan Jal preparation,
family planning, mini medical camp etc.
Tansen Nursing School aims to produce nursing
manpower in Nepal. Though it has the capacity of 75, it
has aimed to produce 30 Staff Nurse in each year. The school
has been offering three years’ training on Staff Nurse selecting
from the girls who have passed SLC in 2nd division or have
secured higher marks in Mathematics, Science and English
who apply for the course and pass the entrance exam. The
catchment area of the school is all over Nepal.
Hetauda Polytechnic performs with a small
amount of financial support from UNESCO which has been used
for preparation of Project Document, fencing of the land,
Education Brief and development of detailed master plan
for the project. CTEVT is seeking assistance for infrastructure
and human resource development as well as equipment necessary
for the Polytechnic. Hetauda Polytechnic has been conducting
short term training programs on Industrial Wiring and Welding
in Fiscal year 2056/57
PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS
Privately run technical schools are operating with affiliation
to CTEVT in different districts. Provisional recognition
has been granted to private health and construction institutions,
the National Computer Training Center and one hairdressing
institute. Full recognition will be granted after a period
of satisfactory performance and the set criteria are met.
Till now, there are more than 165 affiliated private training
institutes which have covered 47 districts of Nepal. These
institutes have been offering courses on CMA, JTA, JT, ANM,
Electrical, Mechanical, Civil, Ayurbedic, laboratory, AMIN,
Carpet Weaving, Wood Works, Dental, Auto- Mechanic, Nature
Pyathic, Therapy in Acupacessure, Carpentry, Welding, General
Mechanics, Auto Mechanics and Food Technical Assistant.
COMPUTER SOFTWARE
Various computer courses, either hardware or software are
well suited for the students of all levels. This is a technological
field with rising enrollment. After finishing SLC and while
waiting for the result, the students can best utilize their
time doing these courses, either in hardware or in software.
And some, who see enough future prospects and lucrative
part of it, go along it and make a career despite the fact
that this field has no academic degree but professional
training. With mounting computer usage in our daily lives,
a career in computer-related field also generates good income
and earns wide recognition.
FASHION DESIGNING
Fashion Designing is also a lucrative career and also is
a formal entrance into the field of glamour.
Fashion instituted around the world offer
variety of courses to train the students practically for
this profession. The local institutes in Nepal offer the
certificate level courses which generally run up to 4 to
8 months. In this level, students are taught computerized
art designing (CAD), graphic designing etc. To join the
diploma level studies one has to complete +2 or equivalent
level of studies.
“Students at any part of the country don’t
have to feel insecure about exams.”
Birendra Singh,
Controller,
S.L.C. Examinations
Q: What percentage of the students
taking S.L.C. exams this year do you think will pass the
exam?
A: I think it comes around 30-35%.
Q: The S.L.C. pass percentage has
not been a satisfactory one. What measures can be applied
to raise it?
A: The only way to increase the pass percentage is that
the schools should teach the entire academic curriculum
designed. Every school should teach 220 days in a year to
do justice to the course. The teachers from every faculty
and students should regularly attend the school and the
guardians should check whether their children are studying
sincerely or not.
Q: S.L.C. examination has been held
region-wise since few years. Is this process going to be
made district-wise?
A: You know how Myagdi incident troubled also the S.L.C.
examination this year in the western region. Question papers
for that region had to be prepared again. As a remedy to
this sort of problems, the idea of holding SLC examinations
in the district level would be kind of a rational approach
but this would take quite a time. Anyway, plans are being
made to make it at least zone-wise.
Q: It is heard that class 12 is
to be made the final school year instead of class 10. Is
it true?
A: If we have to synchronize our educational system with
the international educational system, then we definitely
need to adopt the change. We have been doing homework to
conduct the final school examination at the end of class
12. When this system will be implemented the class 10 examination
will then be held at district level. You find many schools
these days are higher secondary schools and this in a way
is the change towards making class 12 the final school year.
Q: What special measures are there
to sort out any problem that may take place in any of the
examination centers?
A: We have made necessary arrangements for immediate re-exams
incase of any mishaps. The teachers, experts and the superintendent
at any examination center have been given the authority
to make questions themselves and to hold the exams. This
way, I think students at any part of the country don’t have
to feel insecure about exams.
BRIDGE COURSES
There is said to be a huge gap between S.L.C. and higher
secondary education in Nepal. To adjust the gap, almost
all the colleges provide bridge courses to the S.L.C. pass-outs.
After completing S.L.C. and before joining the formal classes
at any college, undergoing bride courses is a good idea
especially for the students who come from the remote areas
of Nepal and are weak in English. However, opting for a
right institute for the bridge courses is important. Some
colleges use bridge courses as a trick to attract students
and taking bridge courses there won’t bear any fruits. Some
institutions like Alfa Beta Institute at Putalisadak provide
good bridge courses at a certain fee. The program comprises
Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics, TOEFL & Entrance
preparation and practical classes for Pre - I. Sc and Boom,
Accounts, Travel and Tourism, Economics, Finance, TOEFL
for Pre-Management classes. These classes are so designed
that they profoundly help S.L.C. appeared students who especially
desire to study Science and Management in Higher Secondary
Schools and colleges.
STUDENT VIEWS ABOUT
THIS YEAR’S SLC EXAMS
How is the exam going on?
Good
What will you study after SLC?
Management
Why?
Because management has broader scopes.
Do you think the country’s present situation has
probable effects on S.L.C.?
Not at all. I don’t think Kathmandu has to fear from all
these.
(Khagendra Ghale, Holyland Public Boarding School, New Baneswor)
How are you doing in exams?
It’s OK up to now. It was the third paper. God knows what
will happen tomorrow.
Were the questions tough?
No. But I am skeptical about the results.
Are you not confident of passing?
I am hopeful about that.
What you intend to study after S.L.C.?
Not decided yet. Let me wait to see what comes in mind.
I am free from my family to choose it.
(Nirajan Rajbhandari, Bijaya Memorial School, Dillibazar)
Hope the paper was easy, right?
It was OK.
Won’t you pass?
I hope so.
What are your future plans?
I will study Computer Science.
Is it your preferance?
Both mine and my family.
(Nisan Kandel, Holyland Public Boarding School, New Baneswor)
You seem OK.
Yeah. I did it well.
Are you opting for Science?
Sure. That is my dream career. My family too prefers to
see me as a doctor.
Does the country’s situation have any effect on
your studies?
Yes. Nothing is sure whether we will complete our exams
or not.
(Srijana Lama, Bijaya Memorial School, Dillibazar)
How you did?
Fair. I will pass.
What after?
I will do Diploma in Engineering.
Great. Is it your personal choice or…?
Yes. My family has let me free to select a career for myself.
(Umesh Satyal, Bijaya Memorial School, Dillibazar)
-Sandeep & Sanjay
Courtesy: Infotiser Fortnightly Magazine
Back
to Home
|
