SEE Examination Likely to be Scrapped: Consensus Reached in Parliamentary Subcommittee

Kathmandu:  A consensus has been reached to discontinue the Secondary Education Examination (SEE), as per the ongoing clause-wise discussions on the School Education Bill in the Education, Health and Technology Committee of Parliament.

According to a source in the committee, the subcommittee has agreed to conduct school education in two levels—basic (grades 1 to 8) and secondary. Local governments will handle exams up to grade 8, while the National Examination Board will conduct examinations at the secondary level. With the final school-level examination being grade 12, it has been agreed that grade 10 exams will be held at the school level, effectively scrapping the SEE.

Some lawmakers had proposed amendments to delegate SEE administration to the provincial level, which was also discussed. However, the subcommittee ultimately reached a consensus not to retain SEE at all.

Furthermore, the subcommittee agreed not to retain the District Education Office and the Department of Education. Another key point of agreement is to make Early Childhood Development (ECD) a two-year program. Despite these decisions, the subcommittee has not yet made its agreements public, planning instead to finalize all issues before submitting them to the full committee.

Discussions are ongoing, integrating inputs from provincial consultations, lawmakers’ amendments, and expert recommendations. The subcommittee is also meeting today, Saturday, to continue deliberations. Following demands from teachers for the immediate passage of the Education Act, the subcommittee is moving discussions forward at an accelerated pace.

Teacher-related issues remain under discussion. According to one subcommittee member, “The government and teacher unions are still negotiating. There were agreements in the past, and we’re waiting to see if new points will be added or removed in the current discussions.”

Although talks between the government and the Teachers’ Federation are ongoing, no agreement has been reached yet. Teachers have been protesting on the streets since Chaitra 20 (April 2, 2025).