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Chapter 1: Introduction
The topic of study is the School Leaving Certificate (SLC) examination of Nepal.
The SLC
The SLC examination
The SLC examination is a centralised examination for the whole of Nepal. It is
managed by the Office of Controller of Examinations, a government office. The SLC
examination is taken by students at the end of class 10. The examination offers a
range of subjects of which some are compulsory and others optional.
The SLC curriculum
The SLC curriculum is designed by the Curriculum Development Centre and taught
over two years in classes 9 and 10. Students who complete lower secondary school
(classes 6-8) are able to study in secondary school (classes 9-10) and take the SLC
examination. Those who pass the SLC examination can go on to higher secondary
school (classes 11-12) which is also known as 10+2. The conduct of classes 9 and 10
culminating in the sitting of SLC examinations will be referred to as the SLC system.
At present, secondary school students take six compulsory subjects – Nepali, English,
Mathematics, Science, Social studies and Health Population and Environment – and
two optional subjects. All subjects have year-end exams. Last year the number of
students taking the SLC examinations was just over 170,0001.
1 www.doe.gov.np/SLC_result_main.htm (1/1/2004)
1
Background
The system of education prevailing in Nepal today is to some extent a prototype of
the Indian system.2 The first English High School, Durbar School was established in
1853 as part of a modernisation programme initiated by Jung Bahadur Rana following
his visit to France and England.3 The school followed the British Model of India.4 The
SLC examination was first conducted in Nepal in 1929 in Kathmandu Valley.5 In the
initial years the examination was conducted by universities from outside of Nepal.
They were firstly conducted by Calcutta University and later by Patna University. In
1934 the Board of School Leaving Certificate was established in Nepal.6 During these
initial years, classroom instruction and examinations were conducted through the
medium of English.7
From the beginning there was an awareness of the potential of the educational
system as an instrument of change.8 The wary attitude of the Rana regime towards
education was illustrated through exiling of more liberal Rana Prime Ministers who
attempted to promote education nationwide.9 In reality, school was open only to those
in the Rana family and upper class close to them. Following the overthrow of the
Ranas, the lower classes began to access education. These newly educated people
have tended to equate themselves with the upper classes.10 In the words of Bista
(1991),
2 CERID (1996) p.33 Bista (1991) p.1194 CERID (1996) p.35 CERID (1996) p.36 CERID (1996) p.37 CERID (1996) p.38 Bista (1991) p.1189 see Bista (1991) p.119-12010 Bista (1991) p.12-129
2
“Traditionally, education was designed solely for the high caste and highly placed
people, the newly educated people tend to equate themselves with these classes. That
is why we have so many educated people who do not want to work”.11
The SLC examination thereby becomes a point of interest in all this given its
nickname ‘Iron Gate’. The SLC according to Dixit (2002) is ‘where all the modern-
day desire for education among the Nepali population comes to rest’.12 During a visit
to Kathmandu I was able to meet a few people who were presumed to be well
acquainted with the SLC. I hoped to get them to share their views during half hour
conversations with them. Education experts, researchers, school principals,
government officials; what did they feel strongly about? Why? What do they think
that secondary education is for?
The context of Nepal
Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world with an annual income per capita
of $250.13 It is also the 40th most populous country in the world.14 The country is
largely composed of a mountainous terrain. Infrastructure and communications are
particularly scarce in the rural hill and mountain regions. At the same time the country
has a wealth of diversity – geographically, culturally and linguistically.
The SLC examination is centralised. It is conducted in two languages - English and
Nepali. Officially the development objective of Secondary Education is “to expand
quality secondary education for the needs of national development”.15 What is
intriguing to consider is whether the SLC examination is serving the needs of national
11 Bista (1991) p.128-12912 Dixit (2002) p.19313 World Bank (2003) p.23514 http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0004391.html15 Ministry of Education (2002) p.3
3
development. Though what are the needs of national development? What should the
SLC examination do in response to these needs? Would the people I talked with have
answers?
Rationale
Learning outcomes for meaningful development
According to the Article 4 of the World Declaration on Education for All…
“whether or not expanded educational opportunities will translate into meaningful
development – for an individual or for society – depends ultimately on whether people
actually learn as a result of those opportunities, i.e., whether they incorporate useful
knowledge, reasoning ability, skills and values.16”
Learning outcomes from education provision are therefore seen to be important for
achieving meaningful development from education provision. The government’s
provision of secondary education has expanded in the past decade.17 Are these
expanded educational opportunities translating into meaningful development?
According to Article 4 it would depend upon the learning outcomes that have resulted.
The importance of the SLC in learning outcomes
The SLC examination comes into the fray when one considers its part in
determining learning outcomes. It is said to guide teachers on what to teach, and the
students on what to learn.18 According to the World Bank, the official curriculum is
16 UNESCO (1990) p.517 Ministry of Education (2002) p.318 CERID (1997) Preface
4
swept aside by the syllabus for the SLC examination.19 This is probably because the
SLC examination is the sole determinant of success or failure for schools, teachers
and students.20 It is a turnstile whereby the social, economic and political importance
exceeds the educational value and technical quality.21
Concerns
A cause for concern is the immense criticism the SLC examination has received.
A study of the SLC examination by the University of Cambridge Local Examination
Syndicate stated that “examination papers are seriously restricted in the range of skills
tested, concentrating mainly on the factual recall of textbook information and
sometimes encouraging the repetition of learned model answers based on the textbook
exercises”.22
Others have voiced the following about the SLC examination:
“SLC examination has only promoted rote learning. This is an undeniable
fact”.23
“The evaluation is not based on work done or the capability to do work, but
on the ability to regurgitate on the answer sheet what has been memorised”.24
“The capabilities tested overemphasise recall, to the neglect of items
requiring candidates to exhibit comprehension and problem-solving skills.
Theoretical items predominate over items requiring practical application.”25
“The examination provides very rare opportunity to the students to imagine,
interpret, opine and think creatively”.26
19 World Bank (1994) p.1920 CERID (1997) p.5421 Ministry of Education (2002) p.4522 World Bank (1994) p.1923 CERID (1997) p.5324 Dixit (2002) p.20225 World Bank (1994) p.2026 CERID (1997) p.5
5
From the standpoint of Article 4, if the examination that dominates secondary
education in Nepal is imparting a narrow range of learning outcomes, there is concern
that the efforts made in providing education for that level are not translating into
meaningful development because what people are learning is limited. This possible
state of affairs in the SLC is recapped in figure 1.1. The worrying scenario put
forward in figure 1.1 is one whereby an examination of dubious technical quality is
steering a whole country’s learning at secondary level.
Figure 1.1
Yet such dominance of examinations in an education system is not uncommon. As
Heyneman and Ransom write,
SLC examination is the sole determinant of success or failure for schools, teachers and students
There is obsessive interest in the SLC examination
The SLC examination guides teaching and learning
The SLC examination tests a narrow range of skills.
Few skills are taught and learnt in classrooms
Learning outcomes are low
Education provision fails to translate into meaningful development
6
“Examinations can be a powerful, low cost means of influencing the quality of what
teachers teach and what students learn in school…Examination agencies have an
important role to play in increasing the effectiveness of schools”.27
Examinations are usually able to provide only limited coverage of a curriculum.28
Nevertheless the scope of evaluation throughout education in Nepal is perceived as
being far too narrow.29 There are limits to what the SLC examination can test but the
implication is that it might be able to cover an appreciably wider range of abilities
than it currently does.
Given the criticism in the rationale section, it appears that one of the needs of the
SLC examination for development is the testing of a wider range of skills. The
research will therefore by some degree take this into account.
Questions and objectives
Questions
1. Is the SLC examination a satisfactory measure for educational achievement in
terms of the learning outcomes it imparts?
2. What do interviewees convey through their views on the SLC examination?
27 Heyneman and Ransom (1990) p.17728 There are two reasons for this. 1) Because examinations are used to make decisions about certification and selection. For the sake of selection an examination may attempt to achieve maximum discrimination for those students for whom the probability of selection is high. This is done by excluding items that are easy or of intermediate difficulty; if most students answered an item correctly, the item would not discriminate among higher scoring students. However, tests made up solely of more difficult questions will not cover the whole curriculum or even attempt to do so (Greaney and Kellaghan 1996, p.32). 2) An examination that is expanded to provide adequate curriculum coverage may become too long (Greaney and Kellaghan 1996, p.32).29 Rajbhandari and Wilmut (2000) p.259
7
Objectives
Objective for question 1: To conclude upon whether the SLC examination is, or is not
imparting a satisfactory degree of learning outcomes.
By a ‘satisfactory degree’ it is meant “is it enough?” Are there enough abilities
learnt as a result of what the SLC examination tests? For this study, whether there are
enough abilities learnt depends partly upon people’s opinions and partly upon whether
the goals of examining authorities are met. Concepts emerging from the interviews
may reinforce or oppose conclusions that are drawn.
- If people voice a need for more abilities to be imparted than there currently
are, they imply the status quo is not satisfactory
- If all the abilities that the examining authorities intend to impart are not
imparted by the examinations, then the goal is not achieved30. The
examinations would thereby be seen to perform unsatisfactorily.
Further objectives are to facilitate the objective for question one are for providing
information which can be used in meeting it. These further objectives are the
following:
To collect and analyse the views of people who are well acquainted
with the SLC examination
To examine a past SLC examination paper
To refer to literature related to the topic
Objective for question 2:
30 The abilities the examination authorities intend to impart are assumed to be those in the Specification Grids. A Specification Grid specifies the skills to be tested as well as the weighting for each skill and sub-skill (Office of the Controller of Examinations 1999, p.1)
8
The objective is to collect and analyse the views of people who are well acquainted
with the SLC examination. In doing this one hopes to get an impression of what the
interviewees feel about the SLC examination.
Outputs from the objectives
The views of people
Results from an examination of an SLC examination paper
Concepts, themes, debates and other information from literature
Scope of the study
Numerous issues come to mind when the SLC examination is brought into the
limelight. Before ending the chapter I will briefly outline some issues which are of
importance to the SLC examination but which are outside the scope of the study.
Areas beyond the scope of the study
Pass rates
The pass rate of the 2003 SLC examination was 32.05 percent.31 The pass rate in itself
is not an issue to be covered in this study. The same goes for the pass mark.
Following I highlight some particular matters in the SLC examinations that have been
commented on in the past, but which I do not focus upon in the study.
Matters associated with the examination papers
31 www.doe.gov.np/SLC_result_main.htm (1/1/2004)
9
Issues over mistakes in the spelling, grammar, proof reading and other typesetter
errors that crop up in an examination paper from time to time are not covered. Errors
in the translation of questions from Nepali to English (SLC exam papers give
questions in both languages) which could cause difficulties in understanding are not
of central concern in the study. The clarity of a question’s instruction is not studied
closely here. The quality of source material (such as pictures) and the consistency of
fonts used in examination papers are also not dealt with here. Comments over
questions with options; comparative levels of difficulty between two optional
questions is another issue left out of the study.
Certification
The current debate over whether a student should receive an overall certificate or be
certified per single subject is an issue not encompassed in the study. The issue over
whether candidates should be awarded in letter grading (A, B, C etc.) or raw marks or
percentages is not included in the study.
Public and Private schooling
The disparity between public and private schools in terms of teaching quality,
facilities and most notably pass rates (education as a marketable product is a part of
this). These issues are not within the scope of this dissertation.
Other issues
Whether evaluation should be strictly year-end or spread across the school year is an
issue not covered. Incomes for example affect a child’s ability to purchase textbooks
10
and past SLC examination papers. This factor is not looked at close up. The same
goes for opportunity costs of going to school.
Gender in the SLC examination is significant. For example one may note that girls
are especially vulnerable in SLC examinations. For example, some examination
centres are almost invariably staffed by men and have no separate toilets or
opportunities for personal privacy.32 I do not cover this in the study. The fact that
many students often have to travel long distances to exam centres and spend
numerous days away from home is notable. It is an issue beyond this study. Finally,
the study has not incorporated the impact of the country’s security situation on the
SLC examination.
Chapter 2: Methodology32 Wilmut (2001) p.25
11
Research Approach
In order to attain the desired objectives, use of appropriate research methods was
needed for obtaining the required primary data which would be qualitative in nature.
The work was exploratory in nature.
1. Semi-structured interviews were conducted
2. An examination of questions in an SLC examination paper took place
How were the methods conducted?
Semi-structured interviews
A question paper was constructed before each interview. The interview question
papers were different for each respondent and often constructed after it was known
the interview would take place. Attempts were made to avoid asking difficult
icebreaker questions though the main emphasis was on designing questions that might
associate with the interviewee and their activities and hopefully get a response. The
interviews were recorded on audio tape and the recordings were transcribed before
data processing took place (see the Annex for interview question papers and
transcripts).
Examining questions of an exam paper
The 2003 SLC Science examination paper for the Western Development Region
was selected for this activity. The intention was to see if the questions imparted the
abilities as specified by the 1999 Specification Grid for SLC Science.33 As a point of
33 1999 SLC Science Specification Grid in Office of the Controller of Examinations (1999) p.39
12
referral, Bloom’s ‘Taxonomy of Educational Objectives’34 was used. Some of
Bloom’s definitions could be found for the prescribed abilities of the specification
grid. In determining the abilities required for answering a question, the question and
answer of each test item (or exam question/task) was observed. To assist with
classifying a test item according to the ability it required, a Grade 9 textbook35 was
referred to as well. Notably, the textbook was made by the Curriculum Development
Centre (see the annex for a copy of the examination paper inspected and the question-
by-question inspection of the examination paper as well as a summary of Bloom’s
Taxonomy of Educational Objectives).
It is important to note that the inspection of the examination paper was influenced
by the assumption that some detrimental trends would come into play. For example, if
a question is repeated over a number of years or repeated with minor variations, then
the ability the student uses in answering the question is seen to be recalling because
s/he is assumed to be able to remember a similar problem from past papers.36
Questions that require information that is near matching information available in the
textbook were assumed to emphasise recall because the student may remember the
answer being discussed in the textbook.37 The questions were often approached with
the following question in mind.
“What ability does the candidate need to call upon in order to answer this question
successfully?”
The ability to refer to the answers of the Answer-Questions38 book and pages of the
textbook has in all likelihood led towards harsher inspection. If a guidebook’s answer 34 Bloom (1972)35 Curriculum Development Centre (2003)36 Singh (2000) p.2237 Singh (2000) p.2238 Answer-Question books are reprints of past examination papers with answers written in. They are also referred to as guide books.
13
to a question was found to be more or less the same as content in the textbook I
assumed that the candidate would have been able to reproduce the textbook content.
Why were the methods chosen?
Semi-structured interviews
For both research questions, the intention was to hear the views and opinions of the
interviewee and encourage him/her to talk about things they felt were important for
the SLC examination because data collection was exploratory in nature. Semi-
structured interviews typically asked open ended questions to offer the flexibility and
openness needed for a respondent to give extensive replies. Further questions might
then be asked by the interviewer in response to what was said. The question paper
would determine a degree of direction during the 30+ minute conversations to ensure
coverage of intended fields.
Examining questions of an exam paper
In order to answer the first question of the study it was felt that it was necessary to
consult examination papers themselves at some point. An examination of all subject’s
question papers would have been more absolute and ideal but for the time it would
require and further complications (such as trying to decide whether questions impart
rather unspecific abilities like ‘skills’, ‘higher abilities’ and ‘practical abilities’ – see
How the sample was selected (below)). Singh (2000) studied the action verbs in a
question when categorising an item according to the ability it required.39 Personally it
was found that labelling the questions in this way is quite tricky in that the verb can
occasionally be deceptive in conveying the actual ability the question requires. One
39 Singh (2000) p.19
14
must also be wary of the affect that textbooks, guide books and teaching-learning
practices can have.
How the sample was selected
Semi-structured interviews
Interviewees were selected purposefully in that I assumed them to be quite well
acquainted with the SLC system and hoped they would have some comments to make
about it. I anticipated they might feel strongly about certain issues and have insights
to share. Being in Kathmandu for the research, the selecting of people depended upon
whether they were present in the capital as well as whether they had time.
Interviewing was done in English which could have determined selection.
In reality the people I pursued were people I was told about when I visited offices,
research centres and ministries in Kathmandu. There must be many other prospective
interviewees in Kathmandu who I have not been referred to. I had little idea of who I
would meet when I first arrived in Nepal. Whether I wanted to interview someone
was often dependent upon recommendations from others. The occupations of the
interviewees are as follows:
Interviewee A: Researcher (on education)
Interviewee B: Education expert/Academic
Interviewee C: School principal
Interviewees for interview D: Government officials
15
Interviewee E: Education expert/Academic
Examining questions of an exam paper
The decision to examine the 2003 SLC Science examination was done purposefully.
The abilities prescribed for each compulsory subject by the 1999 Specification Grid
are in Table 2.1.
Subject Abilities specified for evaluationNepali Knowledge, Understanding, Practical skills, Higher abilities
English Knowledge, Understanding, Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing
Mathematics Knowledge, Understanding, Skills, Problem solving
ScienceKnowledge, Understanding, Application, Analysis, Synthesis and Evaluation
Social studiesKnowledge, Understanding, Higher abilities, Practical abilities
Health Population and Environment
Knowledge, Understanding, Application, Analysis, Synthesis and Evaluation
SOURCE: Compiled from Office of Controller Examinations (1999)Table 2.1
Bloom (1956) classifies six main educational objectives in his taxonomy for the
cognitive domain which are as follows:
1. Knowledge
2. Comprehension
3. Application
4. Analysis
5. Synthesis
6. Evaluation
According to Bloom (1956), comprehension represents the lowest level of
understanding40. Thus, items deemed to require comprehension will come under
‘understanding’ for the inspection of examination questions. To ease the utilisation of
40 Bloom (1971) p.204
16
Bloom’s taxonomy when examining, subjects that specified abilities most closely
matching with the names of Bloom’s educational objectives were chosen. As can be
seen in table 2.1, the subjects of Science and Health Population and Environment
require a list of skills that nearly match the Bloom’s list of educational objectives. I
chose Science because it is probably a more familiar subject across most other
education systems. Choosing the 2003 examination paper was done to select the most
up to date edition at the time of writing. The paper examined was for the Western
Development Region. The development region the examination is for is not believed
to be a significant factor. Each region should require the same from students.
Chapter 3: Results and discussion of findings
Results
Semi-structured interviews
17
The five interviews recorded on audio-tape were transcribed (see ‘Guide to interview
transcripts’ page A-3). The transcripts were read through and comments were written
alongside the written conversation which usually summarised what was being said.
Domains were formed upon referring to the summarised comments. In general,
themes mentioned by a number of interviewees were picked up and sometimes (as in
the case of the ‘Inherited ways’ domain), a number of themes were related to one
broad field. The five concepts and domains that emerged from the interviews are
displayed in brief in Figure 3.1.
Figure 3.1: Concepts and domains
For the objectives of the first research question I firstly deal with the abilities and
skills domain (further results produced within this domain will be covered in the
discussion). The domain called “inherited ways” is about habits in education that
Nepal seems to share with colonial India. When interviewees spoke about traditional
practices, ideals and trends in Nepal, I felt it appropriate to bring an article by Kumar
Abilities needed
5. Inherited
ways
Traditions in the system
The image of educated person
Economy-Education patterns
Abilities imparted2. Abilities and skills
4. Holistic change
18
1. Improvements
in the SLC examination
3. Training for
question setters
(1988) into the discussion so it could mingle with the respondent’s ideas. The boxes
numbered 1, 3 and 4 are concepts that emerged from a number of interviewees.
The examining of questions in an exam paper
Categorising the questions was by reading the questions, viewing the answers to the
questions and referring to Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives as well as a
Grade 9 textbook. Some thought was required as well and admittedly the judgements
made may have been somewhat influenced by one’s opinion. Debate over this method
is probably inevitable. Comments are written in the question-by-question inspection
of an examination paper (see first a guide to the inspection on page A-208) in order to
clarify why the particular judgement was made. My inability to find a grade 10
textbook for Science somewhat limited the extent to which I could check textbooks.
Table 3.1: Results from an inspection of the 2003 SLC science examination (Western Development Region) Topic Abilities Physics Chemistry Biology
Astronomy + Geology SLC Science
Knowledge 20.67 14 21 7.5 63.17Understanding 9.33 1 1.5 0 11.83Application 0 0 0 0 0Analysis 0 0 0 0 0Synthesis 0 0 0 0 0Evaluation 0 0 0 0 0Total marks 30 15 22.5 7.5 75
On the left hand column the abilities that are meant to be tested in the exam are listed.
The number of marks awarded under each skill are shown in the table. As can be seen
in table 3.1, the inspection suggested that questions which require knowledge abilities
seem to dominate the examination. About 63 out of 75 marks (84 percent) are deemed
to reward knowledge skill. About 16 percent of the marks awarded were apparently
for performing understanding abilities. The results imply that one could answer all
19
questions successfully by using knowledge and understanding skills. Attention was
paid to Bloom’s taxonomy throughout the investigation.
Discussion of findings
Interviewing, inspecting an examination paper and literature provide the basis for
discussion. First there will be an observation of the skills and abilities named as either
imparted or needed by interviewee in order to answer the first objective with respect
to the interviews. The results of the inspection of an examination will also be used for
this objective. Following, some themes which appear to have emerged from
interviews are explored. These themes assist in developing an impression of what
interviewees feel about the SLC examination. This is for the fulfilment of the
objective for the second research question.
Abilities and Skills
As seen in figure 3.2, the abilities (and skills) domain is divided into two sub-domains.
One of the sub-domains is called ‘Abilities imparted’ which are the abilities that
interviewees have said are tested in the examinations. The other sub-domain,
‘Abilities needed’ is for the abilities that interviewees have said are needed in the
examinations but are not currently tested in the examinations.
Figure 3.2
All the abilities that were mentioned by interviewees are listed in figures 3.3 and 3.4.
Figure 3.3 displays abilities that are said to be imparted by the SLC examination and
20
Abilities + skills
Abilities imparted
Abilities needed
figure 3.4 displays abilities that are said to be needed in the SLC examination. The
letters listed next to the each ability indicate the interviewees who had mentioned
those particular abilities.
Figure 3.3: Abilities imparted
21
Analysing – DApplication – DArt – CCompetence – DComprehending – DCooking – CCreativity – DDefining – CDescribing – DDifferentiating – DDiscussing – DDrawing – DEvaluating – DExamining – DExpanding – DFact gathering – EGrammar – DHigher level – DHypothesising – DImagining – DKnowing – A, B, C, D, EListening – A, B, C, DListing – CMemorising – A, B, C, D, EMusic – CPlanning – DPractical – A, B, C, D, EProblem solving – DReading – DReasoning – DRecalling – AReferring – DRelating – DReport making – DReproducing – B, D, ESpeaking – A, B, C, DSynthesising – DTransferring knowledge – DUnderstanding – BUnitary – DWriting – D, E
Abilities imparted
Figure 3.4: Abilities needed
22
Adapting – C
Analysing – B, C
Application – A, E
Behavioural – B, C
Believing – C
Caring – C
Committing – C
Communicating – A, C
Comprehending – B, C
Computer literacy – C
Creativity – B, C, E
Critical – A, B, C, D, E
Eliminating – C
Emotional – C
Empathy – C
For agriculture – A, B
For being organised – C
For being rationale – C
For character – B
For cleanliness – A
For coursework/project works – A, B, C, E
For democratic society – B, E
For employment – A, B
For functioning in market economy – B
For having scientific attitude – B
For health – A
For income generation – A
For independent thinking – D
For job – B, C
For life – A, B, C, E
For participating in national, political process – B
For self employment – A
For sharing personal experience – E
For society – B
For use without a certificate – A
Group work – C
Higher level – C, B
Humane – C
Hypothesising – C, E
Imagining – A, B
Innovating – E
Interacting – B
Interpreting – A
Investigating – A
Judging – C
Listening (Nepali) – C
Local – A, B
Marketable – C
Mathematical problem solving – B
Meaningful – C
Opinion – B, D, E
Planning – C
Playing – C
Practical – C, E
Predicting – C
Problem solving – A, B, C, E
Processing – C
Producing – B
Programming – C
Reasoning – B, C
Reflecting – C
Researching – B, C, E
Scrutinising – D
Social – A
Speaking (Nepali) – C
Technical – A, C
Thinking – C
Transferring – E
Translating – C
Vocational – A, C, E
Abilities needed
Areas of consensus
Gathering the abilities that people have mentioned as needed or imparted through
what was said in semi-structured interviews is not necessarily a reliable way of
determining which abilities are imparted or are needed. Yet when all interviewees
appear to agree that certain abilities are imparted or needed, the interviews at least can
bring to mind some of the abilities that are worth thinking about. It is unreliable in
that interviewees will not necessarily mention all the skills that they know are
imparted or feel are needed during the interview. But if an interviewee feels strongly
enough about an ability that is lacking or imparted than it is expected that they would
voice that.
When 4 out of 5 interviewees mention the testing of, or a need for a certain ability,
the interviews suggest fairly strongly that the ability could be is imparted or needed.
This is unless the remaining interviewee opposes the suggestion. Something agreed
upon by 3 out of 5 respondents will be noted.
Areas of consensus: Abilities imparted
Memorising – A, B, C, D, E
Practical – A, B, C, D, E
Knowing – A, B, C, D, E
Listening – A, B, C, D
Speaking – A, B, C, D
Reproducing – B, D, E
As can be seen memorizing abilities, practical abilities and knowing abilities are seen
as imparted by all interviewees. In four out of five interviews respondents mention the
testing of listening and speaking skills. Listening and speaking have recently been
23
added to the evaluation in English which probably explains why they are mentioned.
The same is true for practical science. A couple of SLC graduates showed me their
marks for the Science practical (which were remarkably high – see annex page A-
219).
Memory skills
According to Bloom (1971), knowledge is the ability to recall and remember.41
‘Knowing’, ‘memorizing’ and ‘recalling’ are therefore seen as being the same.
Memorising, recalling or knowing, are certainly said to be tested. In fact the issue
was not that they are tested, but that it is felt they tested to excess.
“SLC examination is like vomiting. They consume and vomit in the test paper. That’s
the one, and re-call these guide books to prepare for the examination” (A.76).
“Our culture, traditionally the teachers teach differently. They do not ask students to
apply the knowledge, they ask to memorise the information”. (E.18)
Interviewee E tells a story about a boy who memorised an essay for one topic and
struggled to write about a different topic he didn’t prepare for because he was relying
upon reproducing text he had memorised (see E.100-104). Interviewee C tells a story
whereby memorisation is so built in the system that it sometimes encourages children
give an answer in the text even if it is wrong (see C. 172).
Areas of consensus: Abilities needed
Particular interest is paid in this section because a perception than an ability is
lacking in the SLC examination would suggest that there are not enough abilities
41 Bloom (1971) p.201
24
imparted in the SLC examination.
Abilities needed
Critical – A, B, C, D, E
For coursework/project works – A, B, C, E
For life – A, B, C, E
Problem solving – A, B, C, E
Creativity – B, C, E
Opinion – B, D, E
Researching – B, C, E
Vocational – A, C, E
As can been seen further needs in the SLC are perceived. Critical abilities are seen as
needed by all interviewees. Four out of five interviewees felt that problem solving,
life skills and coursework project works are needed. The need for life skills is notable
because according to Bista (1990), the teaching and learning of life skills is a practice
that failed to emerge from earlier on. Basic Schools on the principles of Mahatma
Gandhi came into being at the time of India’s independence. They emphasised
productive self-sufficiency. Yet the focus on skills training and commitment to work
was never really popular in Nepal and they failed to attain prestige and popularity.42
Disagreements
As can be seen on referral to figures 3.2 and 3.3, some abilities have been mentioned
as being both imparted and needed (and thereby not imparted) by the SLC
examination.
42 Bista (1990) p.120
25
Firstly I wish to clear up confusion over a few of these disagreements – especially
where interviewees appear to contradict themselves. Interviewees C and E express a
need for practical abilities and yet they also say that practical abilities are imparted. I
imagine this is because they feel the need for practical abilities in other subjects and
not only in SLC science examinations. For listening ability, Interviewee C is referring
to the English subject when saying the skill is imparted and referring to Nepali subject
when expressing a need for the skill.
Following the discarding of those two disagreements there remains disagreement
over the presence of eleven abilities shown in table 3.2. Again, the letters listed
alongside the abilities denote the interviewees who mentioned those particular
abilities. Interestingly, for all the disagreements, respondents of interview D are
always the ones who say that the ability is imparted. After talking with them, I suggest
that their way of classifying a test item’s abilities is different the other interviewees.
Abilities imparted Abilities neededAnalysing - D Analysing - B, C
Application - D Application - A, EComprehending - D Comprehending - B, C
Creativity - D Creativity - B, C, EHigher level - D Higher level - C, B
Hypothesising - D Hypothesising - C, EImagining - D Imagining - A, BPlanning - D Planning - C
Problem solving - D Problem solving - A, B, C, EReasoning - D Reasoning - B, C
Transferring knowledge - D Transferring - E
Table 3.2
The disagreements have a bearing on conclusions that may be drawn. Problem-
solving is particularly controversial. Respondents of interview D differ with all four
respondents over the presence of problem solving. As problem solving is listed in the
26
specification grid for mathematics,43 the respondents of interview D provided an
example of a problem solving question44
“172. Twenty years ago, father’s age was five times his son’s age. Now his age is
ten years, more than twice his son’s present age. Find their present ages. The, this
type of question is not a, comes under problem solving you know? Problem already,
problem is already given in the question, students can find the answers asked in the
questions.”(D.172)
From viewing this, the reader may judge for themselves whether they agree this
question is worthy being classified as a problem solving question. The point is that 4
out of 5 interviews expressed it as a needed ability. Interviewee B for example views
that problem solving is not imparted.
“The whole education system is producing people uh, who cannot question, who
cannot challenge, who cannot uh solve problems, who are only loyal to the
authority.” (B.90)
Interviewee B says the education system is producing people who cannot solve
problems (B.90). Interviewee E feels that the intention to ask problem solving
questions is there, but the ways in which the questions are answered are not by using
problem solving abilities (E.49-50). The conflict of views over the presence of
problem solving questions prevents one from concluding that problem solving is
perceived as needed in the interviews.
Are there enough abilities learnt as a result of what the SLC examination tests?
43 Office of Controller of Examinations (1999) p.2644 Nima Prakashan (2003b). The example was question 14 in a 2002 SLC Mathematics paper. The development region was not given in the Answer-Question book but the code was XR-403E1
27
The answer according to the interviews is “No” because in the objectives it was
stated that if people voice a need for more abilities to be imparted than there currently
are, they imply the status quo is not satisfactory. As all five interviewees agree that
critical abilities are needed, and none of them has said that critical abilities are
imparted, I conclude that according to the interviews, not enough abilities are tested in
the SLC examination. The SLC examination is deemed not to be a satisfactory
measure for educational achievement. Other conclusions from the interviews which
may be worth considering is that a need for imparting life skills is has been expressed
and that a need for coursework/project works has been expressed. Both needs were
voiced by 4 out of 5 interviewees.
Examining questions of an exam paper
The 1999 Specification Grid specified the abilities that the examining authorities
intend to impart through the examinations. The abilities specified for SLC science
were the following:
Knowledge
Understanding
Application
Analysis
Synthesis
Evaluation
According to table 3.1 shown earlier, the results of the inspection imply that to answer
the questions successfully a candidate only would need to call upon the abilities of
28
knowledge and understanding. The abilities of application, analysis, synthesis and
evaluation were seen to not be required for answering the questions correctly. The
method has suggested that such skills may not be imparted by the exam. Therefore,
according to the results of the question-by-question inspection of the examination
paper the SLC examination is seen to be not imparting enough abilities to achieve the
goals intended. As was the case for the interviews, the conclusion offered by the
inspection of the examination paper is that the SLC examination is not imparting a
satisfactory degree of learning outcomes. Ultimately, the interviews and inspection of
the examination paper both see the SLC examination as an unsatisfactory measure for
educational achievement in terms of the learning outcomes it imparts.
Concepts that emerged from the interviews
Some ideas were conveyed by a number of interviewees. The idea that the SLC
examination has improved in recent years, that there is a need to train question setters,
that change should be conducted holistically and the concept that Nepal’s education
system has inherited some aspects of the colonial Indian system are mentioned over
the next pages.
Improvements
“We are improving these qualities of questions and we are um using this uh
grade more strictly per year. It is um more um uh we are assessing more skills
and abilities than the examination of that previous year” (D.322)
From the interviews, a notable point of view that emerged is the idea that the SLC
examination has improved in recent years. Interviewee A, C and D mention some of
29
the improvements.
Interviewee A mentions that the introduction of English speaking and listening tests
are an improvement. A specification grid aiming to introduce higher level skills has
helped improved test items although the items may not successfully assess all targeted
skills even if they attempt to do so (A.56-A.60). Despite some unfulfilled intentions,
the respondent does feel that the test is improved from three years ago. There is
‘some’ improvement in test item quality (A.78-A.82).
In English, respondent C expresses a positive trend in English.
“So what’s happened now also in English is a positive trend is that in SLC you
don’t require textbooks anymore. For SLC. Because its, its learning, its examining
your skill um you, you know in the language” (C.100).
As was seen in the quote (D.332), respondents in D also feel there are
improvements being made. They feel the introduced specification grid has helped
widen the breadth of question types asked (D.266). The Secondary Education Support
Programme concurs with this theme in that it feels there are indications of
improvement in quality.45
Training for question setters
45 Ministry of Education (2002) p.45
30
“It would be easiest to prepare test items at the lower level – recall type. That’s
pretty easy. While you move to the higher level, to construct test items in this
category, not easy I think so” (A.84).
A view held is that it is challenging to make examination questions for knowledge and
understanding. Interviewee C agrees with this (C.60-64). One of the problems for the
SLC examination is that test developers are not qualified. But respondent A feels that
the production of ‘higher-level’ items is still pretty scarce because qualified personnel
remain unavailable (A.78-84). Whatever good intentions test setters have, they need
to be capable of fulfilling them.
“You know the test developers. Guys who do the tests. They have not used to tests.
You know developing tests. So they need to be trained” (B.142).
Interviewee B suggests creating a core group of people (perhaps by giving them
training abroad) who are good at developing higher level items. They would then train
others and eventually the hope is that the capability would be spread (B.142-148).
Holistic change
“Teaching and examination and curriculum. They must go together. But, they, they
are not together. You know we try to improve curriculum, we try to improve teaching
uh through teacher training. But we do things in discreet, discreet manner you know”
(B.96)
To improve in the education sector, there must be change. This change should be
holistic. To help explain why this is important, Interviewee B mentioned an event
whereby the Social Studies curriculum changed but the examination for that subject
didn’t change. The pass rate from the examinations dropped suddenly as a result
31
because students were orientated to the new curriculum that was actually
incompatible with the old exam (B.114-118). Respondent E feels that working
holistically can solve a lot of the problems currently experienced (E.250). Interviewee
E shared a personal account of when s/he tried to change the style of questioning at
Master degree level with limited success.
“What I sensed is students are tuned with that line (recall). They are repeating the
same information, or so they are writing the factual information but they are far
behind in applying that knowledge – even if I ask that kind of (application) questions”
(E.26)
The respondent thereby implied a need for changes throughout in order to make any
kind of change work (see paragraph E. 24-27). Respondent E felt that working
holistically can solve a lot of problems. Problems with the question papers, teachers,
students, culture need to be considered together (E.250).
There exists a feeling that a holistic approach for the improvement of secondary
education should be designed.46 Efforts made in isolation face the risk of conflicting
with established practices. To avoid such problems holistic change is stressed. Piece
meal changes are not sufficient for bringing a positive improvement in the secondary
education of Nepal.47
Inherited ways
This large domain observes a number of topics brought up by interviewees.
Interviewees have brought up issues such as the tradition of rote learning, the image
of an educated person and the inharmonious patterns of the education system and the
economy. Hints that such issues have been inherited from colonial India are made in
46 Singh (2000) p.3547 Singh (2000) p.35
32
the discussion and a suggestion about the education system of Nepal is put forward in
conclusion.
Traditions in the system
“Traditionally we are taught to memorise the information. We are taught to um, to
um answer the factual information. So our teachers also expect that way, our students
also are tuned that way” (E.30).
As seen in the abilities and skills domain, interviewees felt memory skills are
heavily tested in the SLC examinations. Interviewee E identifies the rote-learning
environment (the asking of recall type questions, the students approach to learning
and the way of teaching in schools) as a tradition that has become established in
Nepal’s education (E.8). Where has it come from and why? A textbook-examination
relationship and the impact of centralisation are mentioned here.
Textbook culture
In colonial India students were examined on their study of specific texts, not on their
understanding of concepts or problems.48 In the question-by-question of the
examination paper (see annex pages A-215 to A-218) there were some questions that
required sections of information that were available in the textbook developed by the
Curriculum Development Centre. In interview D it is said that the SLC examination is
guided by the Curriculum Development Centre to a degree (D.266). Questions are
changed as per change in the curriculum (D.322). Since the Curriculum Development
Centre develops textbooks and the SLC is guided by the Curriculum Development
48 Kumar (1988) p.458
33
Centre, a textbook-examination relationship in Nepali education is imaginable. If this
is the case then it is conceivable that the relationship was inherited from British India.
Impact of centralisation
“I mean we can, we can have a central, centralised system for common skills. You
know skills that are common, you can have a central system of examination uh but uh
those skills uh that are specific to you know certain regions, districts. Uh those skills
need, must be tested uh you know locally – at the regional level, or at the district level
or maybe at the, at the school level.”(B.38)
Interviewees were by and large advocates of decentralisation.
Interviewee C felt decentralisation of examination and curriculum is needed in order
to impart meaningful ‘life skills’ which Interviewee C feels are key in education
(C.204-206). In a section of dialogue Interviewee E says that various life skills across
the country should be accommodated for by the examinations (E.135-152). Yet this
respondent stressed the need for the student to learn about Nepal in general as well.
(E.151-152). Government staff (Interview D) briefly informed that they are proposing
to decentralise examination activities to the regional level (D.262).
Impact of centralisation: With relation to the local setting
One of the reasons why decentralisation is backed might be so that the student can
be more familiar with what and how they learn. So their learning becomes more
meaningful. Kumar mentions how the students resorted to memorising of text when
they were unable to read it for meaning as it may have seemed alien to a student’s
34
milieu.49 In colonial India, the centralised examinations and textbooks transcended
local and regional specificity.50 Nepal’s SLC examination is also centralised. Given
the geographic and cultural diversity of a country like Nepal, it is unlikely that the
centralised examination can cater for local milieus in such a diverse country.
“Yeah it’s a diverse country. And there are multiple realities and this is simply not
possible for one (exam) board to you know take into account of all these you know,
multiple realities. Impossible, simply impossible” (B.80).
Ragsdale (1989) talks about how alien the centralised exam must have appeared to
children of a rural Kaski village.
“Questions dealing with an urban environment were, ‘What side of the road should
you walk on?’ (a meaningless idea in Lamnasa), ‘What is the official language of
offices in Morang zone?’, and ‘What are traffic police for?’ Children were told to
draw an airplane and to identify pictures of a train, a truck, a tractor, a car, a nurse
tending a patient in bed, and a bicycle”.51
In Ragsdale’s book, the student’s are in truth highly unsuccessful in the
examinations. Any effort to achieve success in their position would probably need to
entail a considerable level of memorising because the students cannot learn it for
meaning while in a local setting.
49 Kumar (1988) p.259-26050 Kumar (1988) p.45951 Ragsdale (1989) p.154
35
Impact of centralisation: Language medium
In the field of language, one can imagine at least two ways in which centralisation
could have triggered traditions of rote learning in Nepal. One is through the use of
English medium and one is through the use of Nepali medium by Nepalis who didn’t
speak Nepali as their first language. Kumar (1988) noted the challenge the Indian
student faced when being educated in a foreign language (English).52 The train
Figure 3.5 Effect of using English medium53
of events that led one to rote memorise is illustrated in figure 3.5. One who struggled
with English faced the daunting task of using it for all other subjects. Lack of genuine
understanding would have taken its toll on what was grasped. The student didn’t want
to fail so s/he often resorted to memorising if unable to find a better solution.
As teaching and examination were initially conducted through English medium in
Nepal it is possible that a similar sequence of events was initiated and established by
students in Nepal.
52 Kumar (1988) p.46253 Sequence of events compiled from Kumar (1988) p.462
36
English used as a medium of instruction and examination
Students barely master this foreign language
Across various subjects students struggle to follow the language when they should be grasping the facts
Memorisation of the textbook content is a convenient way to avoid failure in the examination
Students cannot dedicate sufficient time and energy towards perfecting their understanding of English to the neglect of other subjects
Education in Nepali medium may still trigger a sequence of events like that shown
in figure 3.5 because Nepalis who don’t speak Nepali as a first language may struggle
with the language as well. For example, according to Ragsdale, Nepali spoken in
Gurung villages lacks the infusion of Sanskrit terms or complex construction that
marks educated speech.54 Ragsdale observed that Gurung children taking a third
grade examination were at a disadvantage because they could not completely
understand the instructions in the examination paper. It is plausible that students who
are not fluent in English or Nepali might be resorting to memorising as well.
Not many of the interviewees talked extensively about the language. Interviewee C
proposed the Nepali subject should have an easier more basic course designed for
Nepalis who didn’t speak Nepali as a first language (C.192-196). When asked
whether there was a way the education system overall could accommodate for
language, interviewee C was less upbeat. Respondent C suggested some literature in
other languages should be made available perhaps via some sort of community
libraries. For the moment though, the country is just not in a state of development to
cater for this issue on a large-scale (C.223-232).
The government policy is that primary level education should be in the mother
tongue according to respondents in D. They informed that textbooks are typed in
mother tongues like Newari and Bhojpuri. To move to secondary level though, one
has to learn Nepali (D.313-320).
Interviewee E felt that schools and students could partake in the language
development process and maintain it in that way but did not mention a large scale
solution (E.244)
The image of an educated person
“The moment you are through with your secondary education um you don’t uh you,
54 Ragsdale (1989) p.150
37
you know you detach yourself from the rural setting. As if you don’t, you don’t belong
there.” (B.30)
A notion that interviewees informed me of was the image of an educated person that
exists in Nepal. An educated person disassociates oneself from the rural setting.
Interviewee B says that a concept of an education person has been borrowed from
India whereby an educated person is seen as someone who sits in a nice office in a
modern, sophisticated way. Away from remote areas, away from dust (B.44-46)
The portrayal is one whereby an educated person does not want to plough their
fields. Due to this, interviewee E suggests modernising informal jobs so that they
become acceptable to students (E.218). Respondent E refers to an ‘academy culture’
whereby the elite do non-agricultural stuff and the non-elite do various things (E.220).
This is in line with Bista’s idea presented in the introduction whereby educated people
associate themselves with upper classes and don’t feel obliged to do the work.55
Looking over what has been said, the image of an educated person is very much of
one who works in the formal sector. This formal sector ideal is once again displaying
some relation with colonial India. In colonial India, the sole job opportunities for ‘the
educated’ were found in the administrative domain.56 The education systems function
was in truth to produce personnel for that field only.
Economy-Education pattern
There has got to be you know harmony between education sector and the economic
55 Bista (1991) p.128-12956 Kumar (1988) p.460
38
sector. So the economy is not performing well. If the economy is not performing well,
our graduates you know they just go nowhere. (B.58)
In colonial India a problem that soon surfaced was the fact that educational
opportunities quickly outnumbered the opportunities for employment following the
establishment of that particular education system. This is even though educational
opportunities remained very limited.57 A comparable scene is present day Nepal
where the educated struggle to find jobs. Interviewee E’s feelings are similar in that
s/he notes the incompatibility between the education and economy sector. Education
is expanding while the economic sector lags behind (E.223-228).
The fact that Nepal suffers a predicament akin to colonial India in terms of the
incompatibility between education and economy is perhaps a hint to a deeper meaning
in terms of what the model that of education that Nepal adopted.
Inherited ways concluded
The issues conveyed from the interviewees tempt one to speculate that by following
the British Model of India, Nepal has seemingly inherited a number of features in the
British Model of India. A tradition of rote learning possibly comes from some or all
of the features mentioned. A close-knit textbook-examination relationship has been
put forward as one of the causes. Centralisation and the way it did not account for
local settings of people is mentioned. The possibility of the language medium
encouraging rote-learning is also highlighted, be it English or Nepali medium. Also
possible is that the image of an educated person in Nepal is in some way related to the
employment opportunities of colonial India.
57 Kumar (1988) p.460
39
The observing of an inharmonious education-economy pattern is what provokes a
considerable amount of concern because it typifies the circumstances in colonial
India. As Kumar writes,
“Colonial rule was not designed to, and never did, release the productive energies of
Indian society”.58
The colonial system of education had no reason to be any different from the system
of colonial rule. At the time examination system was a tool by which the regime could
determine promotion, scholarship and employment while at the same time give an
impression that they were fair and free of prejudice by appearing to award credit
where it is due.59 Whatever the plans of the regime in Nepal, a conceivable idea is that
Nepal followed a blemished system of education that was not actually operating in the
interests of local people. The textbooks and examinations of colonial India did not
intend to fuel an expansion of the economy and employment. They were a means of
maintaining norms.60
Chapter 4: Conclusion
The interviews and question-by-question inspection of the SLC examination gave
the impression that further skills and abilities are needed in order for the SLC
58 Kumar (1988) p.46059 Kumar (1988) p.45860 Kumar (1988) p.458
40
examination to impart a satisfactory degree of learning outcomes. There was overall
agreement that critical abilities are needed. The interviews collectively expressed
fairly strongly that coursework/project work abilities are also required. The need for
imparting abilities for life was another fair strong impression that emerged.
The question-by-question inspection of an exam paper was highly critical. The
intention according to the specification grid was that questions would require the
candidate to perform the abilities of application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation in
the course of the test in addition to the knowledge and understanding abilities that
were judged to be imparted. Upon referral to table 3.2 one may feel that perhaps there
is some disagreement over how one should classify a test item. There should be
consensus over what a problem solving question is for example.
The interviews seemed to communicate an idea that the SLC has improved in recent
years. Some respondents felt that question setters need more training in order to attain
desired objectives (such as those in the specification grids for example). Yet it is
important that any improvements in question papers occur alongside improvements
across the rest of the education sector. Change in a holistic fashion is deemed
necessary. This is in order to alter deep rooted traditions. Such traditions have
seemingly been inherited by following a model from colonial India. It might be the
case that such a model was not designed with the best of intentions for local
populations.
The themes which emerged in the study were by and large determined by the
interviews. During the interviews, the writer’s impression was that usually the
respondent gave a sense that the SLC examination is in need, that the status quo is
certainly not acceptable for the near future. Rarely was there a sense of triumph or
41
satisfaction over the present day scenario. Brief conversations with students gave a
different sense. The SLC exam is hard and demanding on one’s memory. But the
failure and fear or failure generated is accepted. Upon asking why the SLC was good,
a student replied “All people are following it. So it’s good”.
The SLC has a secure place in Nepal’s education system for the short and medium
term.61 As secondary education expands, the SLC examination will continue to
influence much of what goes on at the secondary level. If there is truth in what is
written in Article 4 of the World Declaration on Education for All, then judging by
the conclusions drawn in this study, the SLC examination has some more things to do
if the goal of secondary education is meaningful development.
References
Bista, D. B., 1990. Fatalism and Development: Nepal’s Struggle For Modernisation.
Calcutta: Orient Longman.
61 Ministry of Education (2002) p.45
42
Bloom, B. S., 1972. Taxonomy of Educational Objectives: Book 1 Cognitive Domain.
Michigan: David McKay Company Inc.
CERID, 1996. SLC Examination in Nepal (A Critical Study Report). Kathmandu:
Tribhuvan University.
CERID, 1997. SLC Examination and classroom practice. Kathmandu: Tribhuvan
University.
Curriculum Development Centre, 2003. Science Grade 9. Bhaktapur, Janak Education
Materials Centre Ltd.
Dixit, S., 2002. Education, deception, state and society. In: K. M. Dixit and S.
Ramachandaran, eds. State of Nepal. Lalitpur: Himal Books, 193-211.
Greaney, V. and Kellaghan, T., 1996. Monitoring the Learning Outcomes of
Education Systems (Directions in Development). Washington D. C.: World Bank.
Heyneman, S. P., and Ransom, A. W., 1990. Using examinations and testing to
improve educational quality. Educational Policy, 4 (3), 177-192.
Kumar, K., 1988. Origins of India’s “Textbook Culture”, Comparative Education
Review, 32 (4), 452-464
Ministry of Education, 2002. Secondary Education Support Programme: Core
Document. Kathmandu: Ministry of Education.
Nima Pustak Prakashan, 2003a. S.L.C. Answer-Questions (Collection of Answer
Questions asked in the Examination): Compulsory Science (Including New
Amendment Model Science + Practical Examination). S.L.C. (2057-2059). (Grade – 9
& 10). Kathmandu: Nima Pustak Prakashan.
43
Nima Pustak Prakashan, 2003b. S.L.C. Answer-Questions (Collection of Answer
Questions asked in the Examination): Compulsory Mathematics. S.L.C. (2057-2059).
(Grade – 9 & 10). Kathmandu: Nima Pustak Prakashan.
Office Of The Controller Of Examinations, 1999. Specification Grids (Including Test
items & Marking schemes): Grade 9 & 10. Bhaktapur: Office Of The Controller Of
Examinations.
Onta, P., 2000. Education: Finding a Ray of Hope. Economic and Political Weekly, 35
(47), 4093-4096.
Ragsdale, T. A., 1989. Once a Hermit Kingdom: Ethnicity, Education and National
Integration in Nepal. Kathmandu: Ratna Pustak Bhandar.
Rajbhandari, P. and Wilmut, J., 2000. Assessment in Nepal. Assessment in Education,
7 (2), 256-269.
Singh, G.B., 2000, An Evaluative Study of Examination Reform Activity of SEDP
(emailed from author).
UNESCO, 1990, World Declaration on Education for All and Frame for Action to
meet basic learning needs. New York: Unesco.
Wilmut, 2001. Assessment and Examinations: Component Report. UK: Cambridge
Education consultants.
World Bank, 1994. Nepal: Critical Issues in Secondary Education and Options for
Reform. Washington D.C: World Bank, (12243-NEP).
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Dynamic World: Transforming Institutions, Growth, and Quality of Life. New York:
World Bank and Oxford University Press
44
References to websites:
www.doe.gov.np/SLC_result_main.htm
www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0004391.html
Chapter 1: Introduction
The topic of study is the School Leaving Certificate (SLC) examination of Nepal.
The SLC
The SLC examination
The SLC examination is a centralised examination for the whole of Nepal. It is
managed by the Office of Controller of Examinations, a government office. The SLC
examination is taken by students at the end of class 10. The examination offers a
range of subjects of which some are compulsory and others optional.
The SLC curriculum
The SLC curriculum is designed by the Curriculum Development Centre and taught
over two years in classes 9 and 10. Students who complete lower secondary school
(classes 6-8) are able to study in secondary school (classes 9-10) and take the SLC
examination. Those who pass the SLC examination can go on to higher secondary
school (classes 11-12) which is also known as 10+2. The conduct of classes 9 and 10
culminating in the sitting of SLC examinations will be referred to as the SLC system.
At present, secondary school students take six compulsory subjects – Nepali, English,
Mathematics, Science, Social studies and Health Population and Environment – and
45
two optional subjects. All subjects have year-end exams. Last year the number of
students taking the SLC examinations was just over 170,00062.
Background
The system of education prevailing in Nepal today is to some extent a prototype of
the Indian system.63 The first English High School, Durbar School was established in
1853 as part of a modernisation programme initiated by Jung Bahadur Rana following
his visit to France and England.64 The school followed the British Model of India.65
The SLC examination was first conducted in Nepal in 1929 in Kathmandu Valley.66 In
the initial years the examination was conducted by universities from outside of Nepal.
They were firstly conducted by Calcutta University and later by Patna University. In
1934 the Board of School Leaving Certificate was established in Nepal.67 During
these initial years, classroom instruction and examinations were conducted through
the medium of English.68
From the beginning there was an awareness of the potential of the educational
system as an instrument of change.69 The wary attitude of the Rana regime towards
education was illustrated through exiling of more liberal Rana Prime Ministers who
attempted to promote education nationwide.70 In reality, school was open only to
62 www.doe.gov.np/SLC_result_main.htm (1/1/2004)63 CERID (1996) p.364 Bista (1991) p.11965 CERID (1996) p.366 CERID (1996) p.367 CERID (1996) p.368 CERID (1996) p.369 Bista (1991) p.11870 see Bista (1991) p.119-120
46
those in the Rana family and upper class close to them. Following the overthrow of
the Ranas, the lower classes began to access education. These newly educated people
have tended to equate themselves with the upper classes.71 In the words of Bista
(1991),
“Traditionally, education was designed solely for the high caste and highly placed
people, the newly educated people tend to equate themselves with these classes. That
is why we have so many educated people who do not want to work”.72
The SLC examination thereby becomes a point of interest in all this given its
nickname ‘Iron Gate’. The SLC according to Dixit (2002) is ‘where all the modern-
day desire for education among the Nepali population comes to rest’.73 During a visit
to Kathmandu I was able to meet a few people who were presumed to be well
acquainted with the SLC. I hoped to get them to share their views during half hour
conversations with them. Education experts, researchers, school principals,
government officials; what did they feel strongly about? Why? What do they think
that secondary education is for?
The context of Nepal
Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world with an annual income per capita
of $250.74 It is also the 40th most populous country in the world.75 The country is
largely composed of a mountainous terrain. Infrastructure and communications are
particularly scarce in the rural hill and mountain regions. At the same time the country
has a wealth of diversity – geographically, culturally and linguistically.
71 Bista (1991) p.12-12972 Bista (1991) p.128-12973 Dixit (2002) p.19374 World Bank (2003) p.23575 http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0004391.html
47
The SLC examination is centralised. It is conducted in two languages - English and
Nepali. Officially the development objective of Secondary Education is “to expand
quality secondary education for the needs of national development”.76 What is
intriguing to consider is whether the SLC examination is serving the needs of national
development. Though what are the needs of national development? What should the
SLC examination do in response to these needs? Would the people I talked with have
answers?
Rationale
Learning outcomes for meaningful development
According to the Article 4 of the World Declaration on Education for All…
“whether or not expanded educational opportunities will translate into meaningful
development – for an individual or for society – depends ultimately on whether people
actually learn as a result of those opportunities, i.e., whether they incorporate useful
knowledge, reasoning ability, skills and values.77”
Learning outcomes from education provision are therefore seen to be important for
achieving meaningful development from education provision. The government’s
provision of secondary education has expanded in the past decade.78 Are these
expanded educational opportunities translating into meaningful development?
According to Article 4 it would depend upon the learning outcomes that have resulted.
The importance of the SLC in learning outcomes
76 Ministry of Education (2002) p.377 UNESCO (1990) p.578 Ministry of Education (2002) p.3
48
The SLC examination comes into the fray when one considers its part in
determining learning outcomes. It is said to guide teachers on what to teach, and the
students on what to learn.79 According to the World Bank, the official curriculum is
swept aside by the syllabus for the SLC examination.80 This is probably because the
SLC examination is the sole determinant of success or failure for schools, teachers
and students.81 It is a turnstile whereby the social, economic and political importance
exceeds the educational value and technical quality.82
Concerns
A cause for concern is the immense criticism the SLC examination has received.
A study of the SLC examination by the University of Cambridge Local Examination
Syndicate stated that “examination papers are seriously restricted in the range of skills
tested, concentrating mainly on the factual recall of textbook information and
sometimes encouraging the repetition of learned model answers based on the textbook
exercises”.83
Others have voiced the following about the SLC examination:
“SLC examination has only promoted rote learning. This is an undeniable
fact”.84
“The evaluation is not based on work done or the capability to do work, but
on the ability to regurgitate on the answer sheet what has been memorised”.85
79 CERID (1997) Preface80 World Bank (1994) p.1981 CERID (1997) p.5482 Ministry of Education (2002) p.4583 World Bank (1994) p.1984 CERID (1997) p.5385 Dixit (2002) p.202
49
“The capabilities tested overemphasise recall, to the neglect of items
requiring candidates to exhibit comprehension and problem-solving skills.
Theoretical items predominate over items requiring practical application.”86
“The examination provides very rare opportunity to the students to imagine,
interpret, opine and think creatively”.87
From the standpoint of Article 4, if the examination that dominates secondary
education in Nepal is imparting a narrow range of learning outcomes, there is concern
that the efforts made in providing education for that level are not translating into
meaningful development because what people are learning is limited. This possible
state of affairs in the SLC is recapped in figure 1.1. The worrying scenario put
forward in figure 1.1 is one whereby an examination of dubious technical quality is
steering a whole country’s learning at secondary level.
86 World Bank (1994) p.2087 CERID (1997) p.5
50
Figure 1.1
Yet such dominance of examinations in an education system is not uncommon. As
Heyneman and Ransom write,
“Examinations can be a powerful, low cost means of influencing the quality of what
teachers teach and what students learn in school…Examination agencies have an
important role to play in increasing the effectiveness of schools”.88
Examinations are usually able to provide only limited coverage of a curriculum.89
Nevertheless the scope of evaluation throughout education in Nepal is perceived as
88 Heyneman and Ransom (1990) p.17789 There are two reasons for this. 1) Because examinations are used to make decisions about certification and selection. For the sake of selection an examination may attempt to achieve maximum discrimination for those students for whom the probability of selection is high. This is done by excluding items that are easy or of intermediate difficulty; if most students answered an item correctly, the item would not discriminate among higher scoring students. However, tests made up solely of more difficult questions will not cover the whole curriculum or even attempt to do so (Greaney and Kellaghan 1996, p.32). 2) An examination that is expanded to provide adequate curriculum coverage may become too long (Greaney and Kellaghan 1996, p.32).
SLC examination is the sole determinant of success or failure for schools, teachers and students
There is obsessive interest in the SLC examination
The SLC examination guides teaching and learning
The SLC examination tests a narrow range of skills.
Few skills are taught and learnt in classrooms
Learning outcomes are low
Education provision fails to translate into meaningful development
51
being far too narrow.90 There are limits to what the SLC examination can test but the
implication is that it might be able to cover an appreciably wider range of abilities
than it currently does.
Given the criticism in the rationale section, it appears that one of the needs of the
SLC examination for development is the testing of a wider range of skills. The
research will therefore by some degree take this into account.
Questions and objectives
Questions
1. Is the SLC examination a satisfactory measure for educational achievement in
terms of the learning outcomes it imparts?
2. What do interviewees convey through their views on the SLC examination?
Objectives
Objective for question 1: To conclude upon whether the SLC examination is, or is not
imparting a satisfactory degree of learning outcomes.
By a ‘satisfactory degree’ it is meant “is it enough?” Are there enough abilities
learnt as a result of what the SLC examination tests? For this study, whether there are
enough abilities learnt depends partly upon people’s opinions and partly upon whether
the goals of examining authorities are met. Concepts emerging from the interviews
may reinforce or oppose conclusions that are drawn.
90 Rajbhandari and Wilmut (2000) p.259
52
- If people voice a need for more abilities to be imparted than there currently
are, they imply the status quo is not satisfactory
- If all the abilities that the examining authorities intend to impart are not
imparted by the examinations, then the goal is not achieved91. The
examinations would thereby be seen to perform unsatisfactorily.
Further objectives are to facilitate the objective for question one are for providing
information which can be used in meeting it. These further objectives are the
following:
To collect and analyse the views of people who are well acquainted
with the SLC examination
To examine a past SLC examination paper
To refer to literature related to the topic
Objective for question 2:
The objective is to collect and analyse the views of people who are well acquainted
with the SLC examination. In doing this one hopes to get an impression of what the
interviewees feel about the SLC examination.
Outputs from the objectives
The views of people
Results from an examination of an SLC examination paper
Concepts, themes, debates and other information from literature
91 The abilities the examination authorities intend to impart are assumed to be those in the Specification Grids. A Specification Grid specifies the skills to be tested as well as the weighting for each skill and sub-skill (Office of the Controller of Examinations 1999, p.1)
53
Scope of the study
Numerous issues come to mind when the SLC examination is brought into the
limelight. Before ending the chapter I will briefly outline some issues which are of
importance to the SLC examination but which are outside the scope of the study.
Areas beyond the scope of the study
Pass rates
The pass rate of the 2003 SLC examination was 32.05 percent.92 The pass rate in itself
is not an issue to be covered in this study. The same goes for the pass mark.
Following I highlight some particular matters in the SLC examinations that have been
commented on in the past, but which I do not focus upon in the study.
Matters associated with the examination papers
Issues over mistakes in the spelling, grammar, proof reading and other typesetter
errors that crop up in an examination paper from time to time are not covered. Errors
in the translation of questions from Nepali to English (SLC exam papers give
questions in both languages) which could cause difficulties in understanding are not
of central concern in the study. The clarity of a question’s instruction is not studied
closely here. The quality of source material (such as pictures) and the consistency of
fonts used in examination papers are also not dealt with here. Comments over
92 www.doe.gov.np/SLC_result_main.htm (1/1/2004)
54
questions with options; comparative levels of difficulty between two optional
questions is another issue left out of the study.
Certification
The current debate over whether a student should receive an overall certificate or be
certified per single subject is an issue not encompassed in the study. The issue over
whether candidates should be awarded in letter grading (A, B, C etc.) or raw marks or
percentages is not included in the study.
Public and Private schooling
The disparity between public and private schools in terms of teaching quality,
facilities and most notably pass rates (education as a marketable product is a part of
this). These issues are not within the scope of this dissertation.
Other issues
Whether evaluation should be strictly year-end or spread across the school year is an
issue not covered. Incomes for example affect a child’s ability to purchase textbooks
and past SLC examination papers. This factor is not looked at close up. The same
goes for opportunity costs of going to school.
Gender in the SLC examination is significant. For example one may note that girls
are especially vulnerable in SLC examinations. For example, some examination
centres are almost invariably staffed by men and have no separate toilets or
opportunities for personal privacy.93 I do not cover this in the study. The fact that
many students often have to travel long distances to exam centres and spend
numerous days away from home is notable. It is an issue beyond this study. Finally,
93 Wilmut (2001) p.25
55
the study has not incorporated the impact of the country’s security situation on the
SLC examination.
Chapter 2: Methodology
Research Approach
In order to attain the desired objectives, use of appropriate research methods was
needed for obtaining the required primary data which would be qualitative in nature.
The work was exploratory in nature.
3. Semi-structured interviews were conducted
4. An examination of questions in an SLC examination paper took place
56
How were the methods conducted?
Semi-structured interviews
A question paper was constructed before each interview. The interview question
papers were different for each respondent and often constructed after it was known
the interview would take place. Attempts were made to avoid asking difficult
icebreaker questions though the main emphasis was on designing questions that might
associate with the interviewee and their activities and hopefully get a response. The
interviews were recorded on audio tape and the recordings were transcribed before
data processing took place (see the Annex for interview question papers and
transcripts).
Examining questions of an exam paper
The 2003 SLC Science examination paper for the Western Development Region
was selected for this activity. The intention was to see if the questions imparted the
abilities as specified by the 1999 Specification Grid for SLC Science.94 As a point of
referral, Bloom’s ‘Taxonomy of Educational Objectives’95 was used. Some of
Bloom’s definitions could be found for the prescribed abilities of the specification
grid. In determining the abilities required for answering a question, the question and
answer of each test item (or exam question/task) was observed. To assist with
classifying a test item according to the ability it required, a Grade 9 textbook96 was
referred to as well. Notably, the textbook was made by the Curriculum Development
Centre (see the annex for a copy of the examination paper inspected and the question-
94 1999 SLC Science Specification Grid in Office of the Controller of Examinations (1999) p.3995 Bloom (1972)96 Curriculum Development Centre (2003)
57
by-question inspection of the examination paper as well as a summary of Bloom’s
Taxonomy of Educational Objectives).
It is important to note that the inspection of the examination paper was influenced
by the assumption that some detrimental trends would come into play. For example, if
a question is repeated over a number of years or repeated with minor variations, then
the ability the student uses in answering the question is seen to be recalling because
s/he is assumed to be able to remember a similar problem from past papers.97
Questions that require information that is near matching information available in the
textbook were assumed to emphasise recall because the student may remember the
answer being discussed in the textbook.98 The questions were often approached with
the following question in mind.
“What ability does the candidate need to call upon in order to answer this question
successfully?”
The ability to refer to the answers of the Answer-Questions99 book and pages of the
textbook has in all likelihood led towards harsher inspection. If a guidebook’s answer
to a question was found to be more or less the same as content in the textbook I
assumed that the candidate would have been able to reproduce the textbook content.
Why were the methods chosen?
Semi-structured interviews
For both research questions, the intention was to hear the views and opinions of the
interviewee and encourage him/her to talk about things they felt were important for
97 Singh (2000) p.2298 Singh (2000) p.2299 Answer-Question books are reprints of past examination papers with answers written in. They are also referred to as guide books.
58
the SLC examination because data collection was exploratory in nature. Semi-
structured interviews typically asked open ended questions to offer the flexibility and
openness needed for a respondent to give extensive replies. Further questions might
then be asked by the interviewer in response to what was said. The question paper
would determine a degree of direction during the 30+ minute conversations to ensure
coverage of intended fields.
Examining questions of an exam paper
In order to answer the first question of the study it was felt that it was necessary to
consult examination papers themselves at some point. An examination of all subject’s
question papers would have been more absolute and ideal but for the time it would
require and further complications (such as trying to decide whether questions impart
rather unspecific abilities like ‘skills’, ‘higher abilities’ and ‘practical abilities’ – see
How the sample was selected (below)). Singh (2000) studied the action verbs in a
question when categorising an item according to the ability it required.100 Personally it
was found that labelling the questions in this way is quite tricky in that the verb can
occasionally be deceptive in conveying the actual ability the question requires. One
must also be wary of the affect that textbooks, guide books and teaching-learning
practices can have.
How the sample was selected
Semi-structured interviews
Interviewees were selected purposefully in that I assumed them to be quite well
acquainted with the SLC system and hoped they would have some comments to make
about it. I anticipated they might feel strongly about certain issues and have insights
100 Singh (2000) p.19
59
to share. Being in Kathmandu for the research, the selecting of people depended upon
whether they were present in the capital as well as whether they had time.
Interviewing was done in English which could have determined selection.
In reality the people I pursued were people I was told about when I visited offices,
research centres and ministries in Kathmandu. There must be many other prospective
interviewees in Kathmandu who I have not been referred to. I had little idea of who I
would meet when I first arrived in Nepal. Whether I wanted to interview someone
was often dependent upon recommendations from others. The occupations of the
interviewees are as follows:
Interviewee A: Researcher (on education)
Interviewee B: Education expert/Academic
Interviewee C: School principal
Interviewees for interview D: Government officials
Interviewee E: Education expert/Academic
Examining questions of an exam paper
The decision to examine the 2003 SLC Science examination was done purposefully.
The abilities prescribed for each compulsory subject by the 1999 Specification Grid
are in Table 2.1.
Subject Abilities specified for evaluationNepali Knowledge, Understanding, Practical skills, Higher abilitiesEnglish Knowledge, Understanding, Listening, Speaking, Reading,
60
WritingMathematics Knowledge, Understanding, Skills, Problem solving
ScienceKnowledge, Understanding, Application, Analysis, Synthesis and Evaluation
Social studiesKnowledge, Understanding, Higher abilities, Practical abilities
Health Population and Environment
Knowledge, Understanding, Application, Analysis, Synthesis and Evaluation
SOURCE: Compiled from Office of Controller Examinations (1999)Table 2.1
Bloom (1956) classifies six main educational objectives in his taxonomy for the
cognitive domain which are as follows:
7. Knowledge
8. Comprehension
9. Application
10. Analysis
11. Synthesis
12. Evaluation
According to Bloom (1956), comprehension represents the lowest level of
understanding101. Thus, items deemed to require comprehension will come under
‘understanding’ for the inspection of examination questions. To ease the utilisation of
Bloom’s taxonomy when examining, subjects that specified abilities most closely
matching with the names of Bloom’s educational objectives were chosen. As can be
seen in table 2.1, the subjects of Science and Health Population and Environment
require a list of skills that nearly match the Bloom’s list of educational objectives. I
chose Science because it is probably a more familiar subject across most other
education systems. Choosing the 2003 examination paper was done to select the most
up to date edition at the time of writing. The paper examined was for the Western
101 Bloom (1971) p.204
61
Development Region. The development region the examination is for is not believed
to be a significant factor. Each region should require the same from students.
Chapter 3: Results and discussion of findings
Results
Semi-structured interviews
The five interviews recorded on audio-tape were transcribed (see ‘Guide to interview
transcripts’ page A-3). The transcripts were read through and comments were written
alongside the written conversation which usually summarised what was being said.
Domains were formed upon referring to the summarised comments. In general,
themes mentioned by a number of interviewees were picked up and sometimes (as in
the case of the ‘Inherited ways’ domain), a number of themes were related to one
broad field. The five concepts and domains that emerged from the interviews are
displayed in brief in Figure 3.1.
62
Figure 3.1: Concepts and domains
For the objectives of the first research question I firstly deal with the abilities and
skills domain (further results produced within this domain will be covered in the
discussion). The domain called “inherited ways” is about habits in education that
Nepal seems to share with colonial India. When interviewees spoke about traditional
practices, ideals and trends in Nepal, I felt it appropriate to bring an article by Kumar
(1988) into the discussion so it could mingle with the respondent’s ideas. The boxes
numbered 1, 3 and 4 are concepts that emerged from a number of interviewees.
The examining of questions in an exam paper
Categorising the questions was by reading the questions, viewing the answers to the
questions and referring to Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives as well as a
Grade 9 textbook. Some thought was required as well and admittedly the judgements
made may have been somewhat influenced by one’s opinion. Debate over this method
is probably inevitable. Comments are written in the question-by-question inspection
Abilities needed
5. Inherited
ways
Traditions in the system
The image of educated person
Economy-Education patterns
Abilities imparted2. Abilities and skills
4. Holistic change
63
1. Improvements
in the SLC examination
3. Training for
question setters
of an examination paper (see first a guide to the inspection on page A-208) in order to
clarify why the particular judgement was made. My inability to find a grade 10
textbook for Science somewhat limited the extent to which I could check textbooks.
Table 3.1: Results from an inspection of the 2003 SLC science examination (Western Development Region) Topic Abilities Physics Chemistry Biology
Astronomy + Geology SLC Science
Knowledge 20.67 14 21 7.5 63.17Understanding 9.33 1 1.5 0 11.83Application 0 0 0 0 0Analysis 0 0 0 0 0Synthesis 0 0 0 0 0Evaluation 0 0 0 0 0Total marks 30 15 22.5 7.5 75
On the left hand column the abilities that are meant to be tested in the exam are listed.
The number of marks awarded under each skill are shown in the table. As can be seen
in table 3.1, the inspection suggested that questions which require knowledge abilities
seem to dominate the examination. About 63 out of 75 marks (84 percent) are deemed
to reward knowledge skill. About 16 percent of the marks awarded were apparently
for performing understanding abilities. The results imply that one could answer all
questions successfully by using knowledge and understanding skills. Attention was
paid to Bloom’s taxonomy throughout the investigation.
Discussion of findings
Interviewing, inspecting an examination paper and literature provide the basis for
discussion. First there will be an observation of the skills and abilities named as either
imparted or needed by interviewee in order to answer the first objective with respect
to the interviews. The results of the inspection of an examination will also be used for
this objective. Following, some themes which appear to have emerged from
interviews are explored. These themes assist in developing an impression of what
64
interviewees feel about the SLC examination. This is for the fulfilment of the
objective for the second research question.
Abilities and Skills
As seen in figure 3.2, the abilities (and skills) domain is divided into two sub-domains.
One of the sub-domains is called ‘Abilities imparted’ which are the abilities that
interviewees have said are tested in the examinations. The other sub-domain,
‘Abilities needed’ is for the abilities that interviewees have said are needed in the
examinations but are not currently tested in the examinations.
Figure 3.2
All the abilities that were mentioned by interviewees are listed in figures 3.3 and 3.4.
Figure 3.3 displays abilities that are said to be imparted by the SLC examination and
figure 3.4 displays abilities that are said to be needed in the SLC examination. The
letters listed next to the each ability indicate the interviewees who had mentioned
those particular abilities.
Figure 3.3: Abilities imparted
65
Abilities + skills
Abilities imparted
Abilities needed
Analysing – DApplication – DArt – CCompetence – DComprehending – DCooking – CCreativity – DDefining – CDescribing – DDifferentiating – DDiscussing – DDrawing – DEvaluating – DExamining – DExpanding – DFact gathering – EGrammar – DHigher level – DHypothesising – DImagining – DKnowing – A, B, C, D, EListening – A, B, C, DListing – CMemorising – A, B, C, D, EMusic – CPlanning – DPractical – A, B, C, D, EProblem solving – DReading – DReasoning – DRecalling – AReferring – DRelating – DReport making – DReproducing – B, D, ESpeaking – A, B, C, DSynthesising – DTransferring knowledge – DUnderstanding – BUnitary – DWriting – D, E
Abilities imparted
Figure 3.4: Abilities needed
66
Adapting – C
Analysing – B, C
Application – A, E
Behavioural – B, C
Believing – C
Caring – C
Committing – C
Communicating – A, C
Comprehending – B, C
Computer literacy – C
Creativity – B, C, E
Critical – A, B, C, D, E
Eliminating – C
Emotional – C
Empathy – C
For agriculture – A, B
For being organised – C
For being rationale – C
For character – B
For cleanliness – A
For coursework/project works – A, B, C, E
For democratic society – B, E
For employment – A, B
For functioning in market economy – B
For having scientific attitude – B
For health – A
For income generation – A
For independent thinking – D
For job – B, C
For life – A, B, C, E
For participating in national, political process – B
For self employment – A
For sharing personal experience – E
For society – B
For use without a certificate – A
Group work – C
Higher level – C, B
Humane – C
Hypothesising – C, E
Imagining – A, B
Innovating – E
Interacting – B
Interpreting – A
Investigating – A
Judging – C
Listening (Nepali) – C
Local – A, B
Marketable – C
Mathematical problem solving – B
Meaningful – C
Opinion – B, D, E
Planning – C
Playing – C
Practical – C, E
Predicting – C
Problem solving – A, B, C, E
Processing – C
Producing – B
Programming – C
Reasoning – B, C
Reflecting – C
Researching – B, C, E
Scrutinising – D
Social – A
Speaking (Nepali) – C
Technical – A, C
Thinking – C
Transferring – E
Translating – C
Vocational – A, C, E
Abilities needed
Areas of consensus
Gathering the abilities that people have mentioned as needed or imparted through
what was said in semi-structured interviews is not necessarily a reliable way of
determining which abilities are imparted or are needed. Yet when all interviewees
appear to agree that certain abilities are imparted or needed, the interviews at least can
bring to mind some of the abilities that are worth thinking about. It is unreliable in
that interviewees will not necessarily mention all the skills that they know are
imparted or feel are needed during the interview. But if an interviewee feels strongly
enough about an ability that is lacking or imparted than it is expected that they would
voice that.
When 4 out of 5 interviewees mention the testing of, or a need for a certain ability,
the interviews suggest fairly strongly that the ability could be is imparted or needed.
This is unless the remaining interviewee opposes the suggestion. Something agreed
upon by 3 out of 5 respondents will be noted.
Areas of consensus: Abilities imparted
Memorising – A, B, C, D, E
Practical – A, B, C, D, E
Knowing – A, B, C, D, E
Listening – A, B, C, D
Speaking – A, B, C, D
Reproducing – B, D, E
As can be seen memorizing abilities, practical abilities and knowing abilities are seen
as imparted by all interviewees. In four out of five interviews respondents mention the
testing of listening and speaking skills. Listening and speaking have recently been
67
added to the evaluation in English which probably explains why they are mentioned.
The same is true for practical science. A couple of SLC graduates showed me their
marks for the Science practical (which were remarkably high – see annex page A-
219).
Memory skills
According to Bloom (1971), knowledge is the ability to recall and remember.102
‘Knowing’, ‘memorizing’ and ‘recalling’ are therefore seen as being the same.
Memorising, recalling or knowing, are certainly said to be tested. In fact the issue
was not that they are tested, but that it is felt they tested to excess.
“SLC examination is like vomiting. They consume and vomit in the test paper. That’s
the one, and re-call these guide books to prepare for the examination” (A.76).
“Our culture, traditionally the teachers teach differently. They do not ask students to
apply the knowledge, they ask to memorise the information”. (E.18)
Interviewee E tells a story about a boy who memorised an essay for one topic and
struggled to write about a different topic he didn’t prepare for because he was relying
upon reproducing text he had memorised (see E.100-104). Interviewee C tells a story
whereby memorisation is so built in the system that it sometimes encourages children
give an answer in the text even if it is wrong (see C. 172).
Areas of consensus: Abilities needed
Particular interest is paid in this section because a perception than an ability is
lacking in the SLC examination would suggest that there are not enough abilities
102 Bloom (1971) p.201
68
imparted in the SLC examination.
Abilities needed
Critical – A, B, C, D, E
For coursework/project works – A, B, C, E
For life – A, B, C, E
Problem solving – A, B, C, E
Creativity – B, C, E
Opinion – B, D, E
Researching – B, C, E
Vocational – A, C, E
As can been seen further needs in the SLC are perceived. Critical abilities are seen as
needed by all interviewees. Four out of five interviewees felt that problem solving,
life skills and coursework project works are needed. The need for life skills is notable
because according to Bista (1990), the teaching and learning of life skills is a practice
that failed to emerge from earlier on. Basic Schools on the principles of Mahatma
Gandhi came into being at the time of India’s independence. They emphasised
productive self-sufficiency. Yet the focus on skills training and commitment to work
was never really popular in Nepal and they failed to attain prestige and popularity.103
Disagreements
As can be seen on referral to figures 3.2 and 3.3, some abilities have been mentioned
as being both imparted and needed (and thereby not imparted) by the SLC
examination.
103 Bista (1990) p.120
69
Firstly I wish to clear up confusion over a few of these disagreements – especially
where interviewees appear to contradict themselves. Interviewees C and E express a
need for practical abilities and yet they also say that practical abilities are imparted. I
imagine this is because they feel the need for practical abilities in other subjects and
not only in SLC science examinations. For listening ability, Interviewee C is referring
to the English subject when saying the skill is imparted and referring to Nepali subject
when expressing a need for the skill.
Following the discarding of those two disagreements there remains disagreement
over the presence of eleven abilities shown in table 3.2. Again, the letters listed
alongside the abilities denote the interviewees who mentioned those particular
abilities. Interestingly, for all the disagreements, respondents of interview D are
always the ones who say that the ability is imparted. After talking with them, I suggest
that their way of classifying a test item’s abilities is different the other interviewees.
Abilities imparted Abilities neededAnalysing - D Analysing - B, C
Application - D Application - A, EComprehending - D Comprehending - B, C
Creativity - D Creativity - B, C, EHigher level - D Higher level - C, B
Hypothesising - D Hypothesising - C, EImagining - D Imagining - A, BPlanning - D Planning - C
Problem solving - D Problem solving - A, B, C, EReasoning - D Reasoning - B, C
Transferring knowledge - D Transferring - E
Table 3.2
The disagreements have a bearing on conclusions that may be drawn. Problem-
solving is particularly controversial. Respondents of interview D differ with all four
respondents over the presence of problem solving. As problem solving is listed in the
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specification grid for mathematics,104 the respondents of interview D provided an
example of a problem solving question105
“172. Twenty years ago, father’s age was five times his son’s age. Now his age is
ten years, more than twice his son’s present age. Find their present ages. The, this
type of question is not a, comes under problem solving you know? Problem already,
problem is already given in the question, students can find the answers asked in the
questions.”(D.172)
From viewing this, the reader may judge for themselves whether they agree this
question is worthy being classified as a problem solving question. The point is that 4
out of 5 interviews expressed it as a needed ability. Interviewee B for example views
that problem solving is not imparted.
“The whole education system is producing people uh, who cannot question, who
cannot challenge, who cannot uh solve problems, who are only loyal to the
authority.” (B.90)
Interviewee B says the education system is producing people who cannot solve
problems (B.90). Interviewee E feels that the intention to ask problem solving
questions is there, but the ways in which the questions are answered are not by using
problem solving abilities (E.49-50). The conflict of views over the presence of
problem solving questions prevents one from concluding that problem solving is
perceived as needed in the interviews.
Are there enough abilities learnt as a result of what the SLC examination tests?
104 Office of Controller of Examinations (1999) p.26105 Nima Prakashan (2003b). The example was question 14 in a 2002 SLC Mathematics paper. The development region was not given in the Answer-Question book but the code was XR-403E1
71
The answer according to the interviews is “No” because in the objectives it was
stated that if people voice a need for more abilities to be imparted than there currently
are, they imply the status quo is not satisfactory. As all five interviewees agree that
critical abilities are needed, and none of them has said that critical abilities are
imparted, I conclude that according to the interviews, not enough abilities are tested in
the SLC examination. The SLC examination is deemed not to be a satisfactory
measure for educational achievement. Other conclusions from the interviews which
may be worth considering is that a need for imparting life skills is has been expressed
and that a need for coursework/project works has been expressed. Both needs were
voiced by 4 out of 5 interviewees.
Examining questions of an exam paper
The 1999 Specification Grid specified the abilities that the examining authorities
intend to impart through the examinations. The abilities specified for SLC science
were the following:
Knowledge
Understanding
Application
Analysis
Synthesis
Evaluation
According to table 3.1 shown earlier, the results of the inspection imply that to answer
the questions successfully a candidate only would need to call upon the abilities of
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knowledge and understanding. The abilities of application, analysis, synthesis and
evaluation were seen to not be required for answering the questions correctly. The
method has suggested that such skills may not be imparted by the exam. Therefore,
according to the results of the question-by-question inspection of the examination
paper the SLC examination is seen to be not imparting enough abilities to achieve the
goals intended. As was the case for the interviews, the conclusion offered by the
inspection of the examination paper is that the SLC examination is not imparting a
satisfactory degree of learning outcomes. Ultimately, the interviews and inspection of
the examination paper both see the SLC examination as an unsatisfactory measure for
educational achievement in terms of the learning outcomes it imparts.
Concepts that emerged from the interviews
Some ideas were conveyed by a number of interviewees. The idea that the SLC
examination has improved in recent years, that there is a need to train question setters,
that change should be conducted holistically and the concept that Nepal’s education
system has inherited some aspects of the colonial Indian system are mentioned over
the next pages.
Improvements
“We are improving these qualities of questions and we are um using this uh
grade more strictly per year. It is um more um uh we are assessing more skills
and abilities than the examination of that previous year” (D.322)
From the interviews, a notable point of view that emerged is the idea that the SLC
examination has improved in recent years. Interviewee A, C and D mention some of
73
the improvements.
Interviewee A mentions that the introduction of English speaking and listening tests
are an improvement. A specification grid aiming to introduce higher level skills has
helped improved test items although the items may not successfully assess all targeted
skills even if they attempt to do so (A.56-A.60). Despite some unfulfilled intentions,
the respondent does feel that the test is improved from three years ago. There is
‘some’ improvement in test item quality (A.78-A.82).
In English, respondent C expresses a positive trend in English.
“So what’s happened now also in English is a positive trend is that in SLC you
don’t require textbooks anymore. For SLC. Because its, its learning, its examining
your skill um you, you know in the language” (C.100).
As was seen in the quote (D.332), respondents in D also feel there are
improvements being made. They feel the introduced specification grid has helped
widen the breadth of question types asked (D.266). The Secondary Education Support
Programme concurs with this theme in that it feels there are indications of
improvement in quality.106
Training for question setters
106 Ministry of Education (2002) p.45
74
“It would be easiest to prepare test items at the lower level – recall type. That’s
pretty easy. While you move to the higher level, to construct test items in this
category, not easy I think so” (A.84).
A view held is that it is challenging to make examination questions for knowledge and
understanding. Interviewee C agrees with this (C.60-64). One of the problems for the
SLC examination is that test developers are not qualified. But respondent A feels that
the production of ‘higher-level’ items is still pretty scarce because qualified personnel
remain unavailable (A.78-84). Whatever good intentions test setters have, they need
to be capable of fulfilling them.
“You know the test developers. Guys who do the tests. They have not used to tests.
You know developing tests. So they need to be trained” (B.142).
Interviewee B suggests creating a core group of people (perhaps by giving them
training abroad) who are good at developing higher level items. They would then train
others and eventually the hope is that the capability would be spread (B.142-148).
Holistic change
“Teaching and examination and curriculum. They must go together. But, they, they
are not together. You know we try to improve curriculum, we try to improve teaching
uh through teacher training. But we do things in discreet, discreet manner you know”
(B.96)
To improve in the education sector, there must be change. This change should be
holistic. To help explain why this is important, Interviewee B mentioned an event
whereby the Social Studies curriculum changed but the examination for that subject
didn’t change. The pass rate from the examinations dropped suddenly as a result
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because students were orientated to the new curriculum that was actually
incompatible with the old exam (B.114-118). Respondent E feels that working
holistically can solve a lot of the problems currently experienced (E.250). Interviewee
E shared a personal account of when s/he tried to change the style of questioning at
Master degree level with limited success.
“What I sensed is students are tuned with that line (recall). They are repeating the
same information, or so they are writing the factual information but they are far
behind in applying that knowledge – even if I ask that kind of (application) questions”
(E.26)
The respondent thereby implied a need for changes throughout in order to make any
kind of change work (see paragraph E. 24-27). Respondent E felt that working
holistically can solve a lot of problems. Problems with the question papers, teachers,
students, culture need to be considered together (E.250).
There exists a feeling that a holistic approach for the improvement of secondary
education should be designed.107 Efforts made in isolation face the risk of conflicting
with established practices. To avoid such problems holistic change is stressed. Piece
meal changes are not sufficient for bringing a positive improvement in the secondary
education of Nepal.108
Inherited ways
This large domain observes a number of topics brought up by interviewees.
Interviewees have brought up issues such as the tradition of rote learning, the image
of an educated person and the inharmonious patterns of the education system and the
economy. Hints that such issues have been inherited from colonial India are made in
107 Singh (2000) p.35108 Singh (2000) p.35
76
the discussion and a suggestion about the education system of Nepal is put forward in
conclusion.
Traditions in the system
“Traditionally we are taught to memorise the information. We are taught to um, to
um answer the factual information. So our teachers also expect that way, our students
also are tuned that way” (E.30).
As seen in the abilities and skills domain, interviewees felt memory skills are
heavily tested in the SLC examinations. Interviewee E identifies the rote-learning
environment (the asking of recall type questions, the students approach to learning
and the way of teaching in schools) as a tradition that has become established in
Nepal’s education (E.8). Where has it come from and why? A textbook-examination
relationship and the impact of centralisation are mentioned here.
Textbook culture
In colonial India students were examined on their study of specific texts, not on their
understanding of concepts or problems.109 In the question-by-question of the
examination paper (see annex pages A-215 to A-218) there were some questions that
required sections of information that were available in the textbook developed by the
Curriculum Development Centre. In interview D it is said that the SLC examination is
guided by the Curriculum Development Centre to a degree (D.266). Questions are
changed as per change in the curriculum (D.322). Since the Curriculum Development
Centre develops textbooks and the SLC is guided by the Curriculum Development
109 Kumar (1988) p.458
77
Centre, a textbook-examination relationship in Nepali education is imaginable. If this
is the case then it is conceivable that the relationship was inherited from British India.
Impact of centralisation
“I mean we can, we can have a central, centralised system for common skills. You
know skills that are common, you can have a central system of examination uh but uh
those skills uh that are specific to you know certain regions, districts. Uh those skills
need, must be tested uh you know locally – at the regional level, or at the district level
or maybe at the, at the school level.”(B.38)
Interviewees were by and large advocates of decentralisation.
Interviewee C felt decentralisation of examination and curriculum is needed in order
to impart meaningful ‘life skills’ which Interviewee C feels are key in education
(C.204-206). In a section of dialogue Interviewee E says that various life skills across
the country should be accommodated for by the examinations (E.135-152). Yet this
respondent stressed the need for the student to learn about Nepal in general as well.
(E.151-152). Government staff (Interview D) briefly informed that they are proposing
to decentralise examination activities to the regional level (D.262).
Impact of centralisation: With relation to the local setting
One of the reasons why decentralisation is backed might be so that the student can
be more familiar with what and how they learn. So their learning becomes more
meaningful. Kumar mentions how the students resorted to memorising of text when
they were unable to read it for meaning as it may have seemed alien to a student’s
78
milieu.110 In colonial India, the centralised examinations and textbooks transcended
local and regional specificity.111 Nepal’s SLC examination is also centralised. Given
the geographic and cultural diversity of a country like Nepal, it is unlikely that the
centralised examination can cater for local milieus in such a diverse country.
“Yeah it’s a diverse country. And there are multiple realities and this is simply not
possible for one (exam) board to you know take into account of all these you know,
multiple realities. Impossible, simply impossible” (B.80).
Ragsdale (1989) talks about how alien the centralised exam must have appeared to
children of a rural Kaski village.
“Questions dealing with an urban environment were, ‘What side of the road should
you walk on?’ (a meaningless idea in Lamnasa), ‘What is the official language of
offices in Morang zone?’, and ‘What are traffic police for?’ Children were told to
draw an airplane and to identify pictures of a train, a truck, a tractor, a car, a nurse
tending a patient in bed, and a bicycle”.112
In Ragsdale’s book, the student’s are in truth highly unsuccessful in the
examinations. Any effort to achieve success in their position would probably need to
entail a considerable level of memorising because the students cannot learn it for
meaning while in a local setting.
110 Kumar (1988) p.259-260111 Kumar (1988) p.459112 Ragsdale (1989) p.154
79
Impact of centralisation: Language medium
In the field of language, one can imagine at least two ways in which centralisation
could have triggered traditions of rote learning in Nepal. One is through the use of
English medium and one is through the use of Nepali medium by Nepalis who didn’t
speak Nepali as their first language. Kumar (1988) noted the challenge the Indian
student faced when being educated in a foreign language (English).113 The train
Figure 3.5 Effect of using English medium114
of events that led one to rote memorise is illustrated in figure 3.5. One who struggled
with English faced the daunting task of using it for all other subjects. Lack of genuine
understanding would have taken its toll on what was grasped. The student didn’t want
to fail so s/he often resorted to memorising if unable to find a better solution.
As teaching and examination were initially conducted through English medium in
Nepal it is possible that a similar sequence of events was initiated and established by
students in Nepal.
113 Kumar (1988) p.462114 Sequence of events compiled from Kumar (1988) p.462
80
English used as a medium of instruction and examination
Students barely master this foreign language
Across various subjects students struggle to follow the language when they should be grasping the facts
Memorisation of the textbook content is a convenient way to avoid failure in the examination
Students cannot dedicate sufficient time and energy towards perfecting their understanding of English to the neglect of other subjects
Education in Nepali medium may still trigger a sequence of events like that shown
in figure 3.5 because Nepalis who don’t speak Nepali as a first language may struggle
with the language as well. For example, according to Ragsdale, Nepali spoken in
Gurung villages lacks the infusion of Sanskrit terms or complex construction that
marks educated speech.115 Ragsdale observed that Gurung children taking a third
grade examination were at a disadvantage because they could not completely
understand the instructions in the examination paper. It is plausible that students who
are not fluent in English or Nepali might be resorting to memorising as well.
Not many of the interviewees talked extensively about the language. Interviewee C
proposed the Nepali subject should have an easier more basic course designed for
Nepalis who didn’t speak Nepali as a first language (C.192-196). When asked
whether there was a way the education system overall could accommodate for
language, interviewee C was less upbeat. Respondent C suggested some literature in
other languages should be made available perhaps via some sort of community
libraries. For the moment though, the country is just not in a state of development to
cater for this issue on a large-scale (C.223-232).
The government policy is that primary level education should be in the mother
tongue according to respondents in D. They informed that textbooks are typed in
mother tongues like Newari and Bhojpuri. To move to secondary level though, one
has to learn Nepali (D.313-320).
Interviewee E felt that schools and students could partake in the language
development process and maintain it in that way but did not mention a large scale
solution (E.244)
The image of an educated person
“The moment you are through with your secondary education um you don’t uh you,
115 Ragsdale (1989) p.150
81
you know you detach yourself from the rural setting. As if you don’t, you don’t belong
there.” (B.30)
A notion that interviewees informed me of was the image of an educated person that
exists in Nepal. An educated person disassociates oneself from the rural setting.
Interviewee B says that a concept of an education person has been borrowed from
India whereby an educated person is seen as someone who sits in a nice office in a
modern, sophisticated way. Away from remote areas, away from dust (B.44-46)
The portrayal is one whereby an educated person does not want to plough their
fields. Due to this, interviewee E suggests modernising informal jobs so that they
become acceptable to students (E.218). Respondent E refers to an ‘academy culture’
whereby the elite do non-agricultural stuff and the non-elite do various things (E.220).
This is in line with Bista’s idea presented in the introduction whereby educated people
associate themselves with upper classes and don’t feel obliged to do the work.116
Looking over what has been said, the image of an educated person is very much of
one who works in the formal sector. This formal sector ideal is once again displaying
some relation with colonial India. In colonial India, the sole job opportunities for ‘the
educated’ were found in the administrative domain.117 The education systems function
was in truth to produce personnel for that field only.
Economy-Education pattern
There has got to be you know harmony between education sector and the economic
116 Bista (1991) p.128-129117 Kumar (1988) p.460
82
sector. So the economy is not performing well. If the economy is not performing well,
our graduates you know they just go nowhere. (B.58)
In colonial India a problem that soon surfaced was the fact that educational
opportunities quickly outnumbered the opportunities for employment following the
establishment of that particular education system. This is even though educational
opportunities remained very limited.118 A comparable scene is present day Nepal
where the educated struggle to find jobs. Interviewee E’s feelings are similar in that
s/he notes the incompatibility between the education and economy sector. Education
is expanding while the economic sector lags behind (E.223-228).
The fact that Nepal suffers a predicament akin to colonial India in terms of the
incompatibility between education and economy is perhaps a hint to a deeper meaning
in terms of what the model that of education that Nepal adopted.
Inherited ways concluded
The issues conveyed from the interviewees tempt one to speculate that by following
the British Model of India, Nepal has seemingly inherited a number of features in the
British Model of India. A tradition of rote learning possibly comes from some or all
of the features mentioned. A close-knit textbook-examination relationship has been
put forward as one of the causes. Centralisation and the way it did not account for
local settings of people is mentioned. The possibility of the language medium
encouraging rote-learning is also highlighted, be it English or Nepali medium. Also
possible is that the image of an educated person in Nepal is in some way related to the
employment opportunities of colonial India.
118 Kumar (1988) p.460
83
The observing of an inharmonious education-economy pattern is what provokes a
considerable amount of concern because it typifies the circumstances in colonial
India. As Kumar writes,
“Colonial rule was not designed to, and never did, release the productive energies of
Indian society”.119
The colonial system of education had no reason to be any different from the system
of colonial rule. At the time examination system was a tool by which the regime could
determine promotion, scholarship and employment while at the same time give an
impression that they were fair and free of prejudice by appearing to award credit
where it is due.120 Whatever the plans of the regime in Nepal, a conceivable idea is
that Nepal followed a blemished system of education that was not actually operating
in the interests of local people. The textbooks and examinations of colonial India did
not intend to fuel an expansion of the economy and employment. They were a means
of maintaining norms.121
Chapter 4: Conclusion
The interviews and question-by-question inspection of the SLC examination gave
the impression that further skills and abilities are needed in order for the SLC
119 Kumar (1988) p.460120 Kumar (1988) p.458121 Kumar (1988) p.458
84
examination to impart a satisfactory degree of learning outcomes. There was overall
agreement that critical abilities are needed. The interviews collectively expressed
fairly strongly that coursework/project work abilities are also required. The need for
imparting abilities for life was another fair strong impression that emerged.
The question-by-question inspection of an exam paper was highly critical. The
intention according to the specification grid was that questions would require the
candidate to perform the abilities of application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation in
the course of the test in addition to the knowledge and understanding abilities that
were judged to be imparted. Upon referral to table 3.2 one may feel that perhaps there
is some disagreement over how one should classify a test item. There should be
consensus over what a problem solving question is for example.
The interviews seemed to communicate an idea that the SLC has improved in recent
years. Some respondents felt that question setters need more training in order to attain
desired objectives (such as those in the specification grids for example). Yet it is
important that any improvements in question papers occur alongside improvements
across the rest of the education sector. Change in a holistic fashion is deemed
necessary. This is in order to alter deep rooted traditions. Such traditions have
seemingly been inherited by following a model from colonial India. It might be the
case that such a model was not designed with the best of intentions for local
populations.
The themes which emerged in the study were by and large determined by the
interviews. During the interviews, the writer’s impression was that usually the
respondent gave a sense that the SLC examination is in need, that the status quo is
certainly not acceptable for the near future. Rarely was there a sense of triumph or
85
satisfaction over the present day scenario. Brief conversations with students gave a
different sense. The SLC exam is hard and demanding on one’s memory. But the
failure and fear or failure generated is accepted. Upon asking why the SLC was good,
a student replied “All people are following it. So it’s good”.
The SLC has a secure place in Nepal’s education system for the short and medium
term.122 As secondary education expands, the SLC examination will continue to
influence much of what goes on at the secondary level. If there is truth in what is
written in Article 4 of the World Declaration on Education for All, then judging by
the conclusions drawn in this study, the SLC examination has some more things to do
if the goal of secondary education is meaningful development.
References
Bista, D. B., 1990. Fatalism and Development: Nepal’s Struggle For Modernisation.
Calcutta: Orient Longman.
122 Ministry of Education (2002) p.45
86
Bloom, B. S., 1972. Taxonomy of Educational Objectives: Book 1 Cognitive Domain.
Michigan: David McKay Company Inc.
CERID, 1996. SLC Examination in Nepal (A Critical Study Report). Kathmandu:
Tribhuvan University.
CERID, 1997. SLC Examination and classroom practice. Kathmandu: Tribhuvan
University.
Curriculum Development Centre, 2003. Science Grade 9. Bhaktapur, Janak Education
Materials Centre Ltd.
Dixit, S., 2002. Education, deception, state and society. In: K. M. Dixit and S.
Ramachandaran, eds. State of Nepal. Lalitpur: Himal Books, 193-211.
Greaney, V. and Kellaghan, T., 1996. Monitoring the Learning Outcomes of
Education Systems (Directions in Development). Washington D. C.: World Bank.
Heyneman, S. P., and Ransom, A. W., 1990. Using examinations and testing to
improve educational quality. Educational Policy, 4 (3), 177-192.
Kumar, K., 1988. Origins of India’s “Textbook Culture”, Comparative Education
Review, 32 (4), 452-464
Ministry of Education, 2002. Secondary Education Support Programme: Core
Document. Kathmandu: Ministry of Education.
Nima Pustak Prakashan, 2003a. S.L.C. Answer-Questions (Collection of Answer
Questions asked in the Examination): Compulsory Science (Including New
Amendment Model Science + Practical Examination). S.L.C. (2057-2059). (Grade – 9
& 10). Kathmandu: Nima Pustak Prakashan.
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Nima Pustak Prakashan, 2003b. S.L.C. Answer-Questions (Collection of Answer
Questions asked in the Examination): Compulsory Mathematics. S.L.C. (2057-2059).
(Grade – 9 & 10). Kathmandu: Nima Pustak Prakashan.
Office Of The Controller Of Examinations, 1999. Specification Grids (Including Test
items & Marking schemes): Grade 9 & 10. Bhaktapur: Office Of The Controller Of
Examinations.
Onta, P., 2000. Education: Finding a Ray of Hope. Economic and Political Weekly, 35
(47), 4093-4096.
Ragsdale, T. A., 1989. Once a Hermit Kingdom: Ethnicity, Education and National
Integration in Nepal. Kathmandu: Ratna Pustak Bhandar.
Rajbhandari, P. and Wilmut, J., 2000. Assessment in Nepal. Assessment in Education,
7 (2), 256-269.
Singh, G.B., 2000, An Evaluative Study of Examination Reform Activity of SEDP
(emailed from author).
UNESCO, 1990, World Declaration on Education for All and Frame for Action to
meet basic learning needs. New York: Unesco.
Wilmut, 2001. Assessment and Examinations: Component Report. UK: Cambridge
Education consultants.
World Bank, 1994. Nepal: Critical Issues in Secondary Education and Options for
Reform. Washington D.C: World Bank, (12243-NEP).
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Dynamic World: Transforming Institutions, Growth, and Quality of Life. New York:
World Bank and Oxford University Press
88
References to websites:
www.doe.gov.np/SLC_result_main.htm
www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0004391.html
Chapter 1: Introduction
The topic of study is the School Leaving Certificate (SLC) examination of Nepal.
The SLC
The SLC examination
The SLC examination is a centralised examination for the whole of Nepal. It is
managed by the Office of Controller of Examinations, a government office. The SLC
examination is taken by students at the end of class 10. The examination offers a
range of subjects of which some are compulsory and others optional.
The SLC curriculum
The SLC curriculum is designed by the Curriculum Development Centre and taught
over two years in classes 9 and 10. Students who complete lower secondary school
(classes 6-8) are able to study in secondary school (classes 9-10) and take the SLC
examination. Those who pass the SLC examination can go on to higher secondary
school (classes 11-12) which is also known as 10+2. The conduct of classes 9 and 10
culminating in the sitting of SLC examinations will be referred to as the SLC system.
At present, secondary school students take six compulsory subjects – Nepali, English,
Mathematics, Science, Social studies and Health Population and Environment – and
89
two optional subjects. All subjects have year-end exams. Last year the number of
students taking the SLC examinations was just over 170,000123.
Background
The system of education prevailing in Nepal today is to some extent a prototype of
the Indian system.124 The first English High School, Durbar School was established in
1853 as part of a modernisation programme initiated by Jung Bahadur Rana following
his visit to France and England.125 The school followed the British Model of India.126
The SLC examination was first conducted in Nepal in 1929 in Kathmandu Valley.127
In the initial years the examination was conducted by universities from outside of
Nepal. They were firstly conducted by Calcutta University and later by Patna
University. In 1934 the Board of School Leaving Certificate was established in
Nepal.128 During these initial years, classroom instruction and examinations were
conducted through the medium of English.129
From the beginning there was an awareness of the potential of the educational
system as an instrument of change.130 The wary attitude of the Rana regime towards
education was illustrated through exiling of more liberal Rana Prime Ministers who
attempted to promote education nationwide.131 In reality, school was open only to
123 www.doe.gov.np/SLC_result_main.htm (1/1/2004)124 CERID (1996) p.3125 Bista (1991) p.119126 CERID (1996) p.3127 CERID (1996) p.3128 CERID (1996) p.3129 CERID (1996) p.3130 Bista (1991) p.118131 see Bista (1991) p.119-120
90
those in the Rana family and upper class close to them. Following the overthrow of
the Ranas, the lower classes began to access education. These newly educated people
have tended to equate themselves with the upper classes.132 In the words of Bista
(1991),
“Traditionally, education was designed solely for the high caste and highly placed
people, the newly educated people tend to equate themselves with these classes. That
is why we have so many educated people who do not want to work”.133
The SLC examination thereby becomes a point of interest in all this given its
nickname ‘Iron Gate’. The SLC according to Dixit (2002) is ‘where all the modern-
day desire for education among the Nepali population comes to rest’.134 During a visit
to Kathmandu I was able to meet a few people who were presumed to be well
acquainted with the SLC. I hoped to get them to share their views during half hour
conversations with them. Education experts, researchers, school principals,
government officials; what did they feel strongly about? Why? What do they think
that secondary education is for?
The context of Nepal
Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world with an annual income per capita
of $250.135 It is also the 40th most populous country in the world.136 The country is
largely composed of a mountainous terrain. Infrastructure and communications are
particularly scarce in the rural hill and mountain regions. At the same time the country
has a wealth of diversity – geographically, culturally and linguistically.
132 Bista (1991) p.12-129133 Bista (1991) p.128-129134 Dixit (2002) p.193135 World Bank (2003) p.235136 http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0004391.html
91
The SLC examination is centralised. It is conducted in two languages - English and
Nepali. Officially the development objective of Secondary Education is “to expand
quality secondary education for the needs of national development”.137 What is
intriguing to consider is whether the SLC examination is serving the needs of national
development. Though what are the needs of national development? What should the
SLC examination do in response to these needs? Would the people I talked with have
answers?
Rationale
Learning outcomes for meaningful development
According to the Article 4 of the World Declaration on Education for All…
“whether or not expanded educational opportunities will translate into meaningful
development – for an individual or for society – depends ultimately on whether people
actually learn as a result of those opportunities, i.e., whether they incorporate useful
knowledge, reasoning ability, skills and values.138”
Learning outcomes from education provision are therefore seen to be important for
achieving meaningful development from education provision. The government’s
provision of secondary education has expanded in the past decade.139 Are these
expanded educational opportunities translating into meaningful development?
According to Article 4 it would depend upon the learning outcomes that have resulted.
The importance of the SLC in learning outcomes
137 Ministry of Education (2002) p.3138 UNESCO (1990) p.5139 Ministry of Education (2002) p.3
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The SLC examination comes into the fray when one considers its part in
determining learning outcomes. It is said to guide teachers on what to teach, and the
students on what to learn.140 According to the World Bank, the official curriculum is
swept aside by the syllabus for the SLC examination.141 This is probably because the
SLC examination is the sole determinant of success or failure for schools, teachers
and students.142 It is a turnstile whereby the social, economic and political importance
exceeds the educational value and technical quality.143
Concerns
A cause for concern is the immense criticism the SLC examination has received.
A study of the SLC examination by the University of Cambridge Local Examination
Syndicate stated that “examination papers are seriously restricted in the range of skills
tested, concentrating mainly on the factual recall of textbook information and
sometimes encouraging the repetition of learned model answers based on the textbook
exercises”.144
Others have voiced the following about the SLC examination:
“SLC examination has only promoted rote learning. This is an undeniable
fact”.145
“The evaluation is not based on work done or the capability to do work, but
on the ability to regurgitate on the answer sheet what has been memorised”.146
140 CERID (1997) Preface141 World Bank (1994) p.19142 CERID (1997) p.54143 Ministry of Education (2002) p.45144 World Bank (1994) p.19145 CERID (1997) p.53146 Dixit (2002) p.202
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“The capabilities tested overemphasise recall, to the neglect of items
requiring candidates to exhibit comprehension and problem-solving skills.
Theoretical items predominate over items requiring practical application.”147
“The examination provides very rare opportunity to the students to imagine,
interpret, opine and think creatively”.148
From the standpoint of Article 4, if the examination that dominates secondary
education in Nepal is imparting a narrow range of learning outcomes, there is concern
that the efforts made in providing education for that level are not translating into
meaningful development because what people are learning is limited. This possible
state of affairs in the SLC is recapped in figure 1.1. The worrying scenario put
forward in figure 1.1 is one whereby an examination of dubious technical quality is
steering a whole country’s learning at secondary level.
147 World Bank (1994) p.20148 CERID (1997) p.5
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Figure 1.1
Yet such dominance of examinations in an education system is not uncommon. As
Heyneman and Ransom write,
“Examinations can be a powerful, low cost means of influencing the quality of what
teachers teach and what students learn in school…Examination agencies have an
important role to play in increasing the effectiveness of schools”.149
Examinations are usually able to provide only limited coverage of a curriculum.150
Nevertheless the scope of evaluation throughout education in Nepal is perceived as
149 Heyneman and Ransom (1990) p.177150 There are two reasons for this. 1) Because examinations are used to make decisions about certification and selection. For the sake of selection an examination may attempt to achieve maximum discrimination for those students for whom the probability of selection is high. This is done by excluding items that are easy or of intermediate difficulty; if most students answered an item correctly, the item would not discriminate among higher scoring students. However, tests made up solely of more difficult questions will not cover the whole curriculum or even attempt to do so (Greaney and Kellaghan 1996, p.32). 2) An examination that is expanded to provide adequate curriculum coverage may become too long (Greaney and Kellaghan 1996, p.32).
SLC examination is the sole determinant of success or failure for schools, teachers and students
There is obsessive interest in the SLC examination
The SLC examination guides teaching and learning
The SLC examination tests a narrow range of skills.
Few skills are taught and learnt in classrooms
Learning outcomes are low
Education provision fails to translate into meaningful development
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being far too narrow.151 There are limits to what the SLC examination can test but the
implication is that it might be able to cover an appreciably wider range of abilities
than it currently does.
Given the criticism in the rationale section, it appears that one of the needs of the
SLC examination for development is the testing of a wider range of skills. The
research will therefore by some degree take this into account.
Questions and objectives
Questions
1. Is the SLC examination a satisfactory measure for educational achievement in
terms of the learning outcomes it imparts?
2. What do interviewees convey through their views on the SLC examination?
Objectives
Objective for question 1: To conclude upon whether the SLC examination is, or is not
imparting a satisfactory degree of learning outcomes.
By a ‘satisfactory degree’ it is meant “is it enough?” Are there enough abilities
learnt as a result of what the SLC examination tests? For this study, whether there are
enough abilities learnt depends partly upon people’s opinions and partly upon whether
the goals of examining authorities are met. Concepts emerging from the interviews
may reinforce or oppose conclusions that are drawn.
151 Rajbhandari and Wilmut (2000) p.259
96
- If people voice a need for more abilities to be imparted than there currently
are, they imply the status quo is not satisfactory
- If all the abilities that the examining authorities intend to impart are not
imparted by the examinations, then the goal is not achieved152. The
examinations would thereby be seen to perform unsatisfactorily.
Further objectives are to facilitate the objective for question one are for providing
information which can be used in meeting it. These further objectives are the
following:
To collect and analyse the views of people who are well acquainted
with the SLC examination
To examine a past SLC examination paper
To refer to literature related to the topic
Objective for question 2:
The objective is to collect and analyse the views of people who are well acquainted
with the SLC examination. In doing this one hopes to get an impression of what the
interviewees feel about the SLC examination.
Outputs from the objectives
The views of people
Results from an examination of an SLC examination paper
Concepts, themes, debates and other information from literature
152 The abilities the examination authorities intend to impart are assumed to be those in the Specification Grids. A Specification Grid specifies the skills to be tested as well as the weighting for each skill and sub-skill (Office of the Controller of Examinations 1999, p.1)
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Scope of the study
Numerous issues come to mind when the SLC examination is brought into the
limelight. Before ending the chapter I will briefly outline some issues which are of
importance to the SLC examination but which are outside the scope of the study.
Areas beyond the scope of the study
Pass rates
The pass rate of the 2003 SLC examination was 32.05 percent.153 The pass rate in
itself is not an issue to be covered in this study. The same goes for the pass mark.
Following I highlight some particular matters in the SLC examinations that have been
commented on in the past, but which I do not focus upon in the study.
Matters associated with the examination papers
Issues over mistakes in the spelling, grammar, proof reading and other typesetter
errors that crop up in an examination paper from time to time are not covered. Errors
in the translation of questions from Nepali to English (SLC exam papers give
questions in both languages) which could cause difficulties in understanding are not
of central concern in the study. The clarity of a question’s instruction is not studied
closely here. The quality of source material (such as pictures) and the consistency of
fonts used in examination papers are also not dealt with here. Comments over
153 www.doe.gov.np/SLC_result_main.htm (1/1/2004)
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questions with options; comparative levels of difficulty between two optional
questions is another issue left out of the study.
Certification
The current debate over whether a student should receive an overall certificate or be
certified per single subject is an issue not encompassed in the study. The issue over
whether candidates should be awarded in letter grading (A, B, C etc.) or raw marks or
percentages is not included in the study.
Public and Private schooling
The disparity between public and private schools in terms of teaching quality,
facilities and most notably pass rates (education as a marketable product is a part of
this). These issues are not within the scope of this dissertation.
Other issues
Whether evaluation should be strictly year-end or spread across the school year is an
issue not covered. Incomes for example affect a child’s ability to purchase textbooks
and past SLC examination papers. This factor is not looked at close up. The same
goes for opportunity costs of going to school.
Gender in the SLC examination is significant. For example one may note that girls
are especially vulnerable in SLC examinations. For example, some examination
centres are almost invariably staffed by men and have no separate toilets or
opportunities for personal privacy.154 I do not cover this in the study. The fact that
many students often have to travel long distances to exam centres and spend
numerous days away from home is notable. It is an issue beyond this study. Finally,
154 Wilmut (2001) p.25
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the study has not incorporated the impact of the country’s security situation on the
SLC examination.
Chapter 2: Methodology
Research Approach
In order to attain the desired objectives, use of appropriate research methods was
needed for obtaining the required primary data which would be qualitative in nature.
The work was exploratory in nature.
5. Semi-structured interviews were conducted
6. An examination of questions in an SLC examination paper took place
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How were the methods conducted?
Semi-structured interviews
A question paper was constructed before each interview. The interview question
papers were different for each respondent and often constructed after it was known
the interview would take place. Attempts were made to avoid asking difficult
icebreaker questions though the main emphasis was on designing questions that might
associate with the interviewee and their activities and hopefully get a response. The
interviews were recorded on audio tape and the recordings were transcribed before
data processing took place (see the Annex for interview question papers and
transcripts).
Examining questions of an exam paper
The 2003 SLC Science examination paper for the Western Development Region
was selected for this activity. The intention was to see if the questions imparted the
abilities as specified by the 1999 Specification Grid for SLC Science.155 As a point of
referral, Bloom’s ‘Taxonomy of Educational Objectives’156 was used. Some of
Bloom’s definitions could be found for the prescribed abilities of the specification
grid. In determining the abilities required for answering a question, the question and
answer of each test item (or exam question/task) was observed. To assist with
classifying a test item according to the ability it required, a Grade 9 textbook157 was
referred to as well. Notably, the textbook was made by the Curriculum Development
Centre (see the annex for a copy of the examination paper inspected and the question-
155 1999 SLC Science Specification Grid in Office of the Controller of Examinations (1999) p.39156 Bloom (1972)157 Curriculum Development Centre (2003)
101
by-question inspection of the examination paper as well as a summary of Bloom’s
Taxonomy of Educational Objectives).
It is important to note that the inspection of the examination paper was influenced
by the assumption that some detrimental trends would come into play. For example, if
a question is repeated over a number of years or repeated with minor variations, then
the ability the student uses in answering the question is seen to be recalling because
s/he is assumed to be able to remember a similar problem from past papers.158
Questions that require information that is near matching information available in the
textbook were assumed to emphasise recall because the student may remember the
answer being discussed in the textbook.159 The questions were often approached with
the following question in mind.
“What ability does the candidate need to call upon in order to answer this question
successfully?”
The ability to refer to the answers of the Answer-Questions160 book and pages of the
textbook has in all likelihood led towards harsher inspection. If a guidebook’s answer
to a question was found to be more or less the same as content in the textbook I
assumed that the candidate would have been able to reproduce the textbook content.
Why were the methods chosen?
Semi-structured interviews
For both research questions, the intention was to hear the views and opinions of the
interviewee and encourage him/her to talk about things they felt were important for
158 Singh (2000) p.22159 Singh (2000) p.22160 Answer-Question books are reprints of past examination papers with answers written in. They are also referred to as guide books.
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the SLC examination because data collection was exploratory in nature. Semi-
structured interviews typically asked open ended questions to offer the flexibility and
openness needed for a respondent to give extensive replies. Further questions might
then be asked by the interviewer in response to what was said. The question paper
would determine a degree of direction during the 30+ minute conversations to ensure
coverage of intended fields.
Examining questions of an exam paper
In order to answer the first question of the study it was felt that it was necessary to
consult examination papers themselves at some point. An examination of all subject’s
question papers would have been more absolute and ideal but for the time it would
require and further complications (such as trying to decide whether questions impart
rather unspecific abilities like ‘skills’, ‘higher abilities’ and ‘practical abilities’ – see
How the sample was selected (below)). Singh (2000) studied the action verbs in a
question when categorising an item according to the ability it required.161 Personally it
was found that labelling the questions in this way is quite tricky in that the verb can
occasionally be deceptive in conveying the actual ability the question requires. One
must also be wary of the affect that textbooks, guide books and teaching-learning
practices can have.
How the sample was selected
Semi-structured interviews
Interviewees were selected purposefully in that I assumed them to be quite well
acquainted with the SLC system and hoped they would have some comments to make
about it. I anticipated they might feel strongly about certain issues and have insights
161 Singh (2000) p.19
103
to share. Being in Kathmandu for the research, the selecting of people depended upon
whether they were present in the capital as well as whether they had time.
Interviewing was done in English which could have determined selection.
In reality the people I pursued were people I was told about when I visited offices,
research centres and ministries in Kathmandu. There must be many other prospective
interviewees in Kathmandu who I have not been referred to. I had little idea of who I
would meet when I first arrived in Nepal. Whether I wanted to interview someone
was often dependent upon recommendations from others. The occupations of the
interviewees are as follows:
Interviewee A: Researcher (on education)
Interviewee B: Education expert/Academic
Interviewee C: School principal
Interviewees for interview D: Government officials
Interviewee E: Education expert/Academic
Examining questions of an exam paper
The decision to examine the 2003 SLC Science examination was done purposefully.
The abilities prescribed for each compulsory subject by the 1999 Specification Grid
are in Table 2.1.
Subject Abilities specified for evaluationNepali Knowledge, Understanding, Practical skills, Higher abilitiesEnglish Knowledge, Understanding, Listening, Speaking, Reading,
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WritingMathematics Knowledge, Understanding, Skills, Problem solving
ScienceKnowledge, Understanding, Application, Analysis, Synthesis and Evaluation
Social studiesKnowledge, Understanding, Higher abilities, Practical abilities
Health Population and Environment
Knowledge, Understanding, Application, Analysis, Synthesis and Evaluation
SOURCE: Compiled from Office of Controller Examinations (1999)Table 2.1
Bloom (1956) classifies six main educational objectives in his taxonomy for the
cognitive domain which are as follows:
13. Knowledge
14. Comprehension
15. Application
16. Analysis
17. Synthesis
18. Evaluation
According to Bloom (1956), comprehension represents the lowest level of
understanding162. Thus, items deemed to require comprehension will come under
‘understanding’ for the inspection of examination questions. To ease the utilisation of
Bloom’s taxonomy when examining, subjects that specified abilities most closely
matching with the names of Bloom’s educational objectives were chosen. As can be
seen in table 2.1, the subjects of Science and Health Population and Environment
require a list of skills that nearly match the Bloom’s list of educational objectives. I
chose Science because it is probably a more familiar subject across most other
education systems. Choosing the 2003 examination paper was done to select the most
up to date edition at the time of writing. The paper examined was for the Western
162 Bloom (1971) p.204
105
Development Region. The development region the examination is for is not believed
to be a significant factor. Each region should require the same from students.
Chapter 3: Results and discussion of findings
Results
Semi-structured interviews
The five interviews recorded on audio-tape were transcribed (see ‘Guide to interview
transcripts’ page A-3). The transcripts were read through and comments were written
alongside the written conversation which usually summarised what was being said.
Domains were formed upon referring to the summarised comments. In general,
themes mentioned by a number of interviewees were picked up and sometimes (as in
the case of the ‘Inherited ways’ domain), a number of themes were related to one
broad field. The five concepts and domains that emerged from the interviews are
displayed in brief in Figure 3.1.
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Figure 3.1: Concepts and domains
For the objectives of the first research question I firstly deal with the abilities and
skills domain (further results produced within this domain will be covered in the
discussion). The domain called “inherited ways” is about habits in education that
Nepal seems to share with colonial India. When interviewees spoke about traditional
practices, ideals and trends in Nepal, I felt it appropriate to bring an article by Kumar
(1988) into the discussion so it could mingle with the respondent’s ideas. The boxes
numbered 1, 3 and 4 are concepts that emerged from a number of interviewees.
The examining of questions in an exam paper
Categorising the questions was by reading the questions, viewing the answers to the
questions and referring to Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives as well as a
Grade 9 textbook. Some thought was required as well and admittedly the judgements
made may have been somewhat influenced by one’s opinion. Debate over this method
is probably inevitable. Comments are written in the question-by-question inspection
Abilities needed
5. Inherited
ways
Traditions in the system
The image of educated person
Economy-Education patterns
Abilities imparted2. Abilities and skills
4. Holistic change
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1. Improvements
in the SLC examination
3. Training for
question setters
of an examination paper (see first a guide to the inspection on page A-208) in order to
clarify why the particular judgement was made. My inability to find a grade 10
textbook for Science somewhat limited the extent to which I could check textbooks.
Table 3.1: Results from an inspection of the 2003 SLC science examination (Western Development Region) Topic Abilities Physics Chemistry Biology
Astronomy + Geology SLC Science
Knowledge 20.67 14 21 7.5 63.17Understanding 9.33 1 1.5 0 11.83Application 0 0 0 0 0Analysis 0 0 0 0 0Synthesis 0 0 0 0 0Evaluation 0 0 0 0 0Total marks 30 15 22.5 7.5 75
On the left hand column the abilities that are meant to be tested in the exam are listed.
The number of marks awarded under each skill are shown in the table. As can be seen
in table 3.1, the inspection suggested that questions which require knowledge abilities
seem to dominate the examination. About 63 out of 75 marks (84 percent) are deemed
to reward knowledge skill. About 16 percent of the marks awarded were apparently
for performing understanding abilities. The results imply that one could answer all
questions successfully by using knowledge and understanding skills. Attention was
paid to Bloom’s taxonomy throughout the investigation.
Discussion of findings
Interviewing, inspecting an examination paper and literature provide the basis for
discussion. First there will be an observation of the skills and abilities named as either
imparted or needed by interviewee in order to answer the first objective with respect
to the interviews. The results of the inspection of an examination will also be used for
this objective. Following, some themes which appear to have emerged from
interviews are explored. These themes assist in developing an impression of what
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interviewees feel about the SLC examination. This is for the fulfilment of the
objective for the second research question.
Abilities and Skills
As seen in figure 3.2, the abilities (and skills) domain is divided into two sub-domains.
One of the sub-domains is called ‘Abilities imparted’ which are the abilities that
interviewees have said are tested in the examinations. The other sub-domain,
‘Abilities needed’ is for the abilities that interviewees have said are needed in the
examinations but are not currently tested in the examinations.
Figure 3.2
All the abilities that were mentioned by interviewees are listed in figures 3.3 and 3.4.
Figure 3.3 displays abilities that are said to be imparted by the SLC examination and
figure 3.4 displays abilities that are said to be needed in the SLC examination. The
letters listed next to the each ability indicate the interviewees who had mentioned
those particular abilities.
Figure 3.3: Abilities imparted
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Abilities + skills
Abilities imparted
Abilities needed
Analysing – DApplication – DArt – CCompetence – DComprehending – DCooking – CCreativity – DDefining – CDescribing – DDifferentiating – DDiscussing – DDrawing – DEvaluating – DExamining – DExpanding – DFact gathering – EGrammar – DHigher level – DHypothesising – DImagining – DKnowing – A, B, C, D, EListening – A, B, C, DListing – CMemorising – A, B, C, D, EMusic – CPlanning – DPractical – A, B, C, D, EProblem solving – DReading – DReasoning – DRecalling – AReferring – DRelating – DReport making – DReproducing – B, D, ESpeaking – A, B, C, DSynthesising – DTransferring knowledge – DUnderstanding – BUnitary – DWriting – D, E
Abilities imparted
Figure 3.4: Abilities needed
110
Adapting – C
Analysing – B, C
Application – A, E
Behavioural – B, C
Believing – C
Caring – C
Committing – C
Communicating – A, C
Comprehending – B, C
Computer literacy – C
Creativity – B, C, E
Critical – A, B, C, D, E
Eliminating – C
Emotional – C
Empathy – C
For agriculture – A, B
For being organised – C
For being rationale – C
For character – B
For cleanliness – A
For coursework/project works – A, B, C, E
For democratic society – B, E
For employment – A, B
For functioning in market economy – B
For having scientific attitude – B
For health – A
For income generation – A
For independent thinking – D
For job – B, C
For life – A, B, C, E
For participating in national, political process – B
For self employment – A
For sharing personal experience – E
For society – B
For use without a certificate – A
Group work – C
Higher level – C, B
Humane – C
Hypothesising – C, E
Imagining – A, B
Innovating – E
Interacting – B
Interpreting – A
Investigating – A
Judging – C
Listening (Nepali) – C
Local – A, B
Marketable – C
Mathematical problem solving – B
Meaningful – C
Opinion – B, D, E
Planning – C
Playing – C
Practical – C, E
Predicting – C
Problem solving – A, B, C, E
Processing – C
Producing – B
Programming – C
Reasoning – B, C
Reflecting – C
Researching – B, C, E
Scrutinising – D
Social – A
Speaking (Nepali) – C
Technical – A, C
Thinking – C
Transferring – E
Translating – C
Vocational – A, C, E
Abilities needed
Areas of consensus
Gathering the abilities that people have mentioned as needed or imparted through
what was said in semi-structured interviews is not necessarily a reliable way of
determining which abilities are imparted or are needed. Yet when all interviewees
appear to agree that certain abilities are imparted or needed, the interviews at least can
bring to mind some of the abilities that are worth thinking about. It is unreliable in
that interviewees will not necessarily mention all the skills that they know are
imparted or feel are needed during the interview. But if an interviewee feels strongly
enough about an ability that is lacking or imparted than it is expected that they would
voice that.
When 4 out of 5 interviewees mention the testing of, or a need for a certain ability,
the interviews suggest fairly strongly that the ability could be is imparted or needed.
This is unless the remaining interviewee opposes the suggestion. Something agreed
upon by 3 out of 5 respondents will be noted.
Areas of consensus: Abilities imparted
Memorising – A, B, C, D, E
Practical – A, B, C, D, E
Knowing – A, B, C, D, E
Listening – A, B, C, D
Speaking – A, B, C, D
Reproducing – B, D, E
As can be seen memorizing abilities, practical abilities and knowing abilities are seen
as imparted by all interviewees. In four out of five interviews respondents mention the
testing of listening and speaking skills. Listening and speaking have recently been
111
added to the evaluation in English which probably explains why they are mentioned.
The same is true for practical science. A couple of SLC graduates showed me their
marks for the Science practical (which were remarkably high – see annex page A-
219).
Memory skills
According to Bloom (1971), knowledge is the ability to recall and remember.163
‘Knowing’, ‘memorizing’ and ‘recalling’ are therefore seen as being the same.
Memorising, recalling or knowing, are certainly said to be tested. In fact the issue
was not that they are tested, but that it is felt they tested to excess.
“SLC examination is like vomiting. They consume and vomit in the test paper. That’s
the one, and re-call these guide books to prepare for the examination” (A.76).
“Our culture, traditionally the teachers teach differently. They do not ask students to
apply the knowledge, they ask to memorise the information”. (E.18)
Interviewee E tells a story about a boy who memorised an essay for one topic and
struggled to write about a different topic he didn’t prepare for because he was relying
upon reproducing text he had memorised (see E.100-104). Interviewee C tells a story
whereby memorisation is so built in the system that it sometimes encourages children
give an answer in the text even if it is wrong (see C. 172).
Areas of consensus: Abilities needed
Particular interest is paid in this section because a perception than an ability is
lacking in the SLC examination would suggest that there are not enough abilities
163 Bloom (1971) p.201
112
imparted in the SLC examination.
Abilities needed
Critical – A, B, C, D, E
For coursework/project works – A, B, C, E
For life – A, B, C, E
Problem solving – A, B, C, E
Creativity – B, C, E
Opinion – B, D, E
Researching – B, C, E
Vocational – A, C, E
As can been seen further needs in the SLC are perceived. Critical abilities are seen as
needed by all interviewees. Four out of five interviewees felt that problem solving,
life skills and coursework project works are needed. The need for life skills is notable
because according to Bista (1990), the teaching and learning of life skills is a practice
that failed to emerge from earlier on. Basic Schools on the principles of Mahatma
Gandhi came into being at the time of India’s independence. They emphasised
productive self-sufficiency. Yet the focus on skills training and commitment to work
was never really popular in Nepal and they failed to attain prestige and popularity.164
Disagreements
As can be seen on referral to figures 3.2 and 3.3, some abilities have been mentioned
as being both imparted and needed (and thereby not imparted) by the SLC
examination.
164 Bista (1990) p.120
113
Firstly I wish to clear up confusion over a few of these disagreements – especially
where interviewees appear to contradict themselves. Interviewees C and E express a
need for practical abilities and yet they also say that practical abilities are imparted. I
imagine this is because they feel the need for practical abilities in other subjects and
not only in SLC science examinations. For listening ability, Interviewee C is referring
to the English subject when saying the skill is imparted and referring to Nepali subject
when expressing a need for the skill.
Following the discarding of those two disagreements there remains disagreement
over the presence of eleven abilities shown in table 3.2. Again, the letters listed
alongside the abilities denote the interviewees who mentioned those particular
abilities. Interestingly, for all the disagreements, respondents of interview D are
always the ones who say that the ability is imparted. After talking with them, I suggest
that their way of classifying a test item’s abilities is different the other interviewees.
Abilities imparted Abilities neededAnalysing - D Analysing - B, C
Application - D Application - A, EComprehending - D Comprehending - B, C
Creativity - D Creativity - B, C, EHigher level - D Higher level - C, B
Hypothesising - D Hypothesising - C, EImagining - D Imagining - A, BPlanning - D Planning - C
Problem solving - D Problem solving - A, B, C, EReasoning - D Reasoning - B, C
Transferring knowledge - D Transferring - E
Table 3.2
The disagreements have a bearing on conclusions that may be drawn. Problem-
solving is particularly controversial. Respondents of interview D differ with all four
respondents over the presence of problem solving. As problem solving is listed in the
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specification grid for mathematics,165 the respondents of interview D provided an
example of a problem solving question166
“172. Twenty years ago, father’s age was five times his son’s age. Now his age is
ten years, more than twice his son’s present age. Find their present ages. The, this
type of question is not a, comes under problem solving you know? Problem already,
problem is already given in the question, students can find the answers asked in the
questions.”(D.172)
From viewing this, the reader may judge for themselves whether they agree this
question is worthy being classified as a problem solving question. The point is that 4
out of 5 interviews expressed it as a needed ability. Interviewee B for example views
that problem solving is not imparted.
“The whole education system is producing people uh, who cannot question, who
cannot challenge, who cannot uh solve problems, who are only loyal to the
authority.” (B.90)
Interviewee B says the education system is producing people who cannot solve
problems (B.90). Interviewee E feels that the intention to ask problem solving
questions is there, but the ways in which the questions are answered are not by using
problem solving abilities (E.49-50). The conflict of views over the presence of
problem solving questions prevents one from concluding that problem solving is
perceived as needed in the interviews.
Are there enough abilities learnt as a result of what the SLC examination tests?
165 Office of Controller of Examinations (1999) p.26166 Nima Prakashan (2003b). The example was question 14 in a 2002 SLC Mathematics paper. The development region was not given in the Answer-Question book but the code was XR-403E1
115
The answer according to the interviews is “No” because in the objectives it was
stated that if people voice a need for more abilities to be imparted than there currently
are, they imply the status quo is not satisfactory. As all five interviewees agree that
critical abilities are needed, and none of them has said that critical abilities are
imparted, I conclude that according to the interviews, not enough abilities are tested in
the SLC examination. The SLC examination is deemed not to be a satisfactory
measure for educational achievement. Other conclusions from the interviews which
may be worth considering is that a need for imparting life skills is has been expressed
and that a need for coursework/project works has been expressed. Both needs were
voiced by 4 out of 5 interviewees.
Examining questions of an exam paper
The 1999 Specification Grid specified the abilities that the examining authorities
intend to impart through the examinations. The abilities specified for SLC science
were the following:
Knowledge
Understanding
Application
Analysis
Synthesis
Evaluation
According to table 3.1 shown earlier, the results of the inspection imply that to answer
the questions successfully a candidate only would need to call upon the abilities of
116
knowledge and understanding. The abilities of application, analysis, synthesis and
evaluation were seen to not be required for answering the questions correctly. The
method has suggested that such skills may not be imparted by the exam. Therefore,
according to the results of the question-by-question inspection of the examination
paper the SLC examination is seen to be not imparting enough abilities to achieve the
goals intended. As was the case for the interviews, the conclusion offered by the
inspection of the examination paper is that the SLC examination is not imparting a
satisfactory degree of learning outcomes. Ultimately, the interviews and inspection of
the examination paper both see the SLC examination as an unsatisfactory measure for
educational achievement in terms of the learning outcomes it imparts.
Concepts that emerged from the interviews
Some ideas were conveyed by a number of interviewees. The idea that the SLC
examination has improved in recent years, that there is a need to train question setters,
that change should be conducted holistically and the concept that Nepal’s education
system has inherited some aspects of the colonial Indian system are mentioned over
the next pages.
Improvements
“We are improving these qualities of questions and we are um using this uh
grade more strictly per year. It is um more um uh we are assessing more skills
and abilities than the examination of that previous year” (D.322)
From the interviews, a notable point of view that emerged is the idea that the SLC
examination has improved in recent years. Interviewee A, C and D mention some of
117
the improvements.
Interviewee A mentions that the introduction of English speaking and listening tests
are an improvement. A specification grid aiming to introduce higher level skills has
helped improved test items although the items may not successfully assess all targeted
skills even if they attempt to do so (A.56-A.60). Despite some unfulfilled intentions,
the respondent does feel that the test is improved from three years ago. There is
‘some’ improvement in test item quality (A.78-A.82).
In English, respondent C expresses a positive trend in English.
“So what’s happened now also in English is a positive trend is that in SLC you
don’t require textbooks anymore. For SLC. Because its, its learning, its examining
your skill um you, you know in the language” (C.100).
As was seen in the quote (D.332), respondents in D also feel there are
improvements being made. They feel the introduced specification grid has helped
widen the breadth of question types asked (D.266). The Secondary Education Support
Programme concurs with this theme in that it feels there are indications of
improvement in quality.167
Training for question setters
167 Ministry of Education (2002) p.45
118
“It would be easiest to prepare test items at the lower level – recall type. That’s
pretty easy. While you move to the higher level, to construct test items in this
category, not easy I think so” (A.84).
A view held is that it is challenging to make examination questions for knowledge and
understanding. Interviewee C agrees with this (C.60-64). One of the problems for the
SLC examination is that test developers are not qualified. But respondent A feels that
the production of ‘higher-level’ items is still pretty scarce because qualified personnel
remain unavailable (A.78-84). Whatever good intentions test setters have, they need
to be capable of fulfilling them.
“You know the test developers. Guys who do the tests. They have not used to tests.
You know developing tests. So they need to be trained” (B.142).
Interviewee B suggests creating a core group of people (perhaps by giving them
training abroad) who are good at developing higher level items. They would then train
others and eventually the hope is that the capability would be spread (B.142-148).
Holistic change
“Teaching and examination and curriculum. They must go together. But, they, they
are not together. You know we try to improve curriculum, we try to improve teaching
uh through teacher training. But we do things in discreet, discreet manner you know”
(B.96)
To improve in the education sector, there must be change. This change should be
holistic. To help explain why this is important, Interviewee B mentioned an event
whereby the Social Studies curriculum changed but the examination for that subject
didn’t change. The pass rate from the examinations dropped suddenly as a result
119
because students were orientated to the new curriculum that was actually
incompatible with the old exam (B.114-118). Respondent E feels that working
holistically can solve a lot of the problems currently experienced (E.250). Interviewee
E shared a personal account of when s/he tried to change the style of questioning at
Master degree level with limited success.
“What I sensed is students are tuned with that line (recall). They are repeating the
same information, or so they are writing the factual information but they are far
behind in applying that knowledge – even if I ask that kind of (application) questions”
(E.26)
The respondent thereby implied a need for changes throughout in order to make any
kind of change work (see paragraph E. 24-27). Respondent E felt that working
holistically can solve a lot of problems. Problems with the question papers, teachers,
students, culture need to be considered together (E.250).
There exists a feeling that a holistic approach for the improvement of secondary
education should be designed.168 Efforts made in isolation face the risk of conflicting
with established practices. To avoid such problems holistic change is stressed. Piece
meal changes are not sufficient for bringing a positive improvement in the secondary
education of Nepal.169
Inherited ways
This large domain observes a number of topics brought up by interviewees.
Interviewees have brought up issues such as the tradition of rote learning, the image
of an educated person and the inharmonious patterns of the education system and the
economy. Hints that such issues have been inherited from colonial India are made in
168 Singh (2000) p.35169 Singh (2000) p.35
120
the discussion and a suggestion about the education system of Nepal is put forward in
conclusion.
Traditions in the system
“Traditionally we are taught to memorise the information. We are taught to um, to
um answer the factual information. So our teachers also expect that way, our students
also are tuned that way” (E.30).
As seen in the abilities and skills domain, interviewees felt memory skills are
heavily tested in the SLC examinations. Interviewee E identifies the rote-learning
environment (the asking of recall type questions, the students approach to learning
and the way of teaching in schools) as a tradition that has become established in
Nepal’s education (E.8). Where has it come from and why? A textbook-examination
relationship and the impact of centralisation are mentioned here.
Textbook culture
In colonial India students were examined on their study of specific texts, not on their
understanding of concepts or problems.170 In the question-by-question of the
examination paper (see annex pages A-215 to A-218) there were some questions that
required sections of information that were available in the textbook developed by the
Curriculum Development Centre. In interview D it is said that the SLC examination is
guided by the Curriculum Development Centre to a degree (D.266). Questions are
changed as per change in the curriculum (D.322). Since the Curriculum Development
Centre develops textbooks and the SLC is guided by the Curriculum Development
170 Kumar (1988) p.458
121
Centre, a textbook-examination relationship in Nepali education is imaginable. If this
is the case then it is conceivable that the relationship was inherited from British India.
Impact of centralisation
“I mean we can, we can have a central, centralised system for common skills. You
know skills that are common, you can have a central system of examination uh but uh
those skills uh that are specific to you know certain regions, districts. Uh those skills
need, must be tested uh you know locally – at the regional level, or at the district level
or maybe at the, at the school level.”(B.38)
Interviewees were by and large advocates of decentralisation.
Interviewee C felt decentralisation of examination and curriculum is needed in order
to impart meaningful ‘life skills’ which Interviewee C feels are key in education
(C.204-206). In a section of dialogue Interviewee E says that various life skills across
the country should be accommodated for by the examinations (E.135-152). Yet this
respondent stressed the need for the student to learn about Nepal in general as well.
(E.151-152). Government staff (Interview D) briefly informed that they are proposing
to decentralise examination activities to the regional level (D.262).
Impact of centralisation: With relation to the local setting
One of the reasons why decentralisation is backed might be so that the student can
be more familiar with what and how they learn. So their learning becomes more
meaningful. Kumar mentions how the students resorted to memorising of text when
they were unable to read it for meaning as it may have seemed alien to a student’s
122
milieu.171 In colonial India, the centralised examinations and textbooks transcended
local and regional specificity.172 Nepal’s SLC examination is also centralised. Given
the geographic and cultural diversity of a country like Nepal, it is unlikely that the
centralised examination can cater for local milieus in such a diverse country.
“Yeah it’s a diverse country. And there are multiple realities and this is simply not
possible for one (exam) board to you know take into account of all these you know,
multiple realities. Impossible, simply impossible” (B.80).
Ragsdale (1989) talks about how alien the centralised exam must have appeared to
children of a rural Kaski village.
“Questions dealing with an urban environment were, ‘What side of the road should
you walk on?’ (a meaningless idea in Lamnasa), ‘What is the official language of
offices in Morang zone?’, and ‘What are traffic police for?’ Children were told to
draw an airplane and to identify pictures of a train, a truck, a tractor, a car, a nurse
tending a patient in bed, and a bicycle”.173
In Ragsdale’s book, the student’s are in truth highly unsuccessful in the
examinations. Any effort to achieve success in their position would probably need to
entail a considerable level of memorising because the students cannot learn it for
meaning while in a local setting.
171 Kumar (1988) p.259-260172 Kumar (1988) p.459173 Ragsdale (1989) p.154
123
Impact of centralisation: Language medium
In the field of language, one can imagine at least two ways in which centralisation
could have triggered traditions of rote learning in Nepal. One is through the use of
English medium and one is through the use of Nepali medium by Nepalis who didn’t
speak Nepali as their first language. Kumar (1988) noted the challenge the Indian
student faced when being educated in a foreign language (English).174 The train
Figure 3.5 Effect of using English medium175
of events that led one to rote memorise is illustrated in figure 3.5. One who struggled
with English faced the daunting task of using it for all other subjects. Lack of genuine
understanding would have taken its toll on what was grasped. The student didn’t want
to fail so s/he often resorted to memorising if unable to find a better solution.
As teaching and examination were initially conducted through English medium in
Nepal it is possible that a similar sequence of events was initiated and established by
students in Nepal.
174 Kumar (1988) p.462175 Sequence of events compiled from Kumar (1988) p.462
124
English used as a medium of instruction and examination
Students barely master this foreign language
Across various subjects students struggle to follow the language when they should be grasping the facts
Memorisation of the textbook content is a convenient way to avoid failure in the examination
Students cannot dedicate sufficient time and energy towards perfecting their understanding of English to the neglect of other subjects
Education in Nepali medium may still trigger a sequence of events like that shown
in figure 3.5 because Nepalis who don’t speak Nepali as a first language may struggle
with the language as well. For example, according to Ragsdale, Nepali spoken in
Gurung villages lacks the infusion of Sanskrit terms or complex construction that
marks educated speech.176 Ragsdale observed that Gurung children taking a third
grade examination were at a disadvantage because they could not completely
understand the instructions in the examination paper. It is plausible that students who
are not fluent in English or Nepali might be resorting to memorising as well.
Not many of the interviewees talked extensively about the language. Interviewee C
proposed the Nepali subject should have an easier more basic course designed for
Nepalis who didn’t speak Nepali as a first language (C.192-196). When asked
whether there was a way the education system overall could accommodate for
language, interviewee C was less upbeat. Respondent C suggested some literature in
other languages should be made available perhaps via some sort of community
libraries. For the moment though, the country is just not in a state of development to
cater for this issue on a large-scale (C.223-232).
The government policy is that primary level education should be in the mother
tongue according to respondents in D. They informed that textbooks are typed in
mother tongues like Newari and Bhojpuri. To move to secondary level though, one
has to learn Nepali (D.313-320).
Interviewee E felt that schools and students could partake in the language
development process and maintain it in that way but did not mention a large scale
solution (E.244)
The image of an educated person
“The moment you are through with your secondary education um you don’t uh you,
176 Ragsdale (1989) p.150
125
you know you detach yourself from the rural setting. As if you don’t, you don’t belong
there.” (B.30)
A notion that interviewees informed me of was the image of an educated person that
exists in Nepal. An educated person disassociates oneself from the rural setting.
Interviewee B says that a concept of an education person has been borrowed from
India whereby an educated person is seen as someone who sits in a nice office in a
modern, sophisticated way. Away from remote areas, away from dust (B.44-46)
The portrayal is one whereby an educated person does not want to plough their
fields. Due to this, interviewee E suggests modernising informal jobs so that they
become acceptable to students (E.218). Respondent E refers to an ‘academy culture’
whereby the elite do non-agricultural stuff and the non-elite do various things (E.220).
This is in line with Bista’s idea presented in the introduction whereby educated people
associate themselves with upper classes and don’t feel obliged to do the work.177
Looking over what has been said, the image of an educated person is very much of
one who works in the formal sector. This formal sector ideal is once again displaying
some relation with colonial India. In colonial India, the sole job opportunities for ‘the
educated’ were found in the administrative domain.178 The education systems function
was in truth to produce personnel for that field only.
Economy-Education pattern
There has got to be you know harmony between education sector and the economic
177 Bista (1991) p.128-129178 Kumar (1988) p.460
126
sector. So the economy is not performing well. If the economy is not performing well,
our graduates you know they just go nowhere. (B.58)
In colonial India a problem that soon surfaced was the fact that educational
opportunities quickly outnumbered the opportunities for employment following the
establishment of that particular education system. This is even though educational
opportunities remained very limited.179 A comparable scene is present day Nepal
where the educated struggle to find jobs. Interviewee E’s feelings are similar in that
s/he notes the incompatibility between the education and economy sector. Education
is expanding while the economic sector lags behind (E.223-228).
The fact that Nepal suffers a predicament akin to colonial India in terms of the
incompatibility between education and economy is perhaps a hint to a deeper meaning
in terms of what the model that of education that Nepal adopted.
Inherited ways concluded
The issues conveyed from the interviewees tempt one to speculate that by following
the British Model of India, Nepal has seemingly inherited a number of features in the
British Model of India. A tradition of rote learning possibly comes from some or all
of the features mentioned. A close-knit textbook-examination relationship has been
put forward as one of the causes. Centralisation and the way it did not account for
local settings of people is mentioned. The possibility of the language medium
encouraging rote-learning is also highlighted, be it English or Nepali medium. Also
possible is that the image of an educated person in Nepal is in some way related to the
employment opportunities of colonial India.
179 Kumar (1988) p.460
127
The observing of an inharmonious education-economy pattern is what provokes a
considerable amount of concern because it typifies the circumstances in colonial
India. As Kumar writes,
“Colonial rule was not designed to, and never did, release the productive energies of
Indian society”.180
The colonial system of education had no reason to be any different from the system
of colonial rule. At the time examination system was a tool by which the regime could
determine promotion, scholarship and employment while at the same time give an
impression that they were fair and free of prejudice by appearing to award credit
where it is due.181 Whatever the plans of the regime in Nepal, a conceivable idea is
that Nepal followed a blemished system of education that was not actually operating
in the interests of local people. The textbooks and examinations of colonial India did
not intend to fuel an expansion of the economy and employment. They were a means
of maintaining norms.182
Chapter 4: Conclusion
The interviews and question-by-question inspection of the SLC examination gave
the impression that further skills and abilities are needed in order for the SLC
180 Kumar (1988) p.460181 Kumar (1988) p.458182 Kumar (1988) p.458
128
examination to impart a satisfactory degree of learning outcomes. There was overall
agreement that critical abilities are needed. The interviews collectively expressed
fairly strongly that coursework/project work abilities are also required. The need for
imparting abilities for life was another fair strong impression that emerged.
The question-by-question inspection of an exam paper was highly critical. The
intention according to the specification grid was that questions would require the
candidate to perform the abilities of application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation in
the course of the test in addition to the knowledge and understanding abilities that
were judged to be imparted. Upon referral to table 3.2 one may feel that perhaps there
is some disagreement over how one should classify a test item. There should be
consensus over what a problem solving question is for example.
The interviews seemed to communicate an idea that the SLC has improved in recent
years. Some respondents felt that question setters need more training in order to attain
desired objectives (such as those in the specification grids for example). Yet it is
important that any improvements in question papers occur alongside improvements
across the rest of the education sector. Change in a holistic fashion is deemed
necessary. This is in order to alter deep rooted traditions. Such traditions have
seemingly been inherited by following a model from colonial India. It might be the
case that such a model was not designed with the best of intentions for local
populations.
The themes which emerged in the study were by and large determined by the
interviews. During the interviews, the writer’s impression was that usually the
respondent gave a sense that the SLC examination is in need, that the status quo is
certainly not acceptable for the near future. Rarely was there a sense of triumph or
129
satisfaction over the present day scenario. Brief conversations with students gave a
different sense. The SLC exam is hard and demanding on one’s memory. But the
failure and fear or failure generated is accepted. Upon asking why the SLC was good,
a student replied “All people are following it. So it’s good”.
The SLC has a secure place in Nepal’s education system for the short and medium
term.183 As secondary education expands, the SLC examination will continue to
influence much of what goes on at the secondary level. If there is truth in what is
written in Article 4 of the World Declaration on Education for All, then judging by
the conclusions drawn in this study, the SLC examination has some more things to do
if the goal of secondary education is meaningful development.
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Calcutta: Orient Longman.
183 Ministry of Education (2002) p.45
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133
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