SLC TO START MARCH 31, COURSE ONLY ONE-THIRD COMPLETE IN MADHES

KATHMANDU, Dec 17: The Office of the Controller of Examinations (OCE) has scheduled the SLC board exam of this academic year for March 31 to April 11. Teachers and students in the eight districts of the central tarai, who resumed their classes from November 19 after 100 days of forced closure, have only three and half months left for wraping up the one-year course.
As many as 55, 600 students are expected to appear in the SLC exam from the eight districts of Saptari, Siraha, Dhanusha, Mahottari, Sarlahi, Rautahat, Bara and Parsa, according to the Department of Education (DOE). However, only one-third of the course has been completed in these districts.

Though the government has stepped in to help students cover the course, continuous protests across the districts have been an obstruction to starting special classes targeted at students appearing for the SLC, said Khaga Raj Baral, director general at DoE.
“Most students at government schools have resumed classes, which augers well for making up for what they have lost during the 100 days of forced shut-downs,” said Baral.

The government, which earlier aired radio and TV programs twice a week to help 10th graders prepare for the SLC, has now expanded this to five days a week, Baral added. The students can learn English, mathematics and science from this program.
“The program is also aired through local FM in Dhanusha and Parsa, targeting tarai students,” said Baral. The earthquake-hit districts were on track to complete the course despite over one month of class disruption due to the April 25 earthquake, he claimed.
As for students at private schools, they would be appearing in exams twice within the three and half months,  private school operators said.
“Private school students are nearly ready for the board exam as we have been taking coaching classes continuously once the situation cooled down in the tarai,” said Karna Bahadur Shahi, chairperson of NPABSON.