Ignoring numerous amendment proposals, a subcommittee of the Education, Health and Information Committee of the House of Representatives has agreed to end the practice of holding secondary education examinations (SEE) as a national board programme.

After rigorous discussions on the School Education Bill, the Chhabilal Bishwakarma-led 11-member subpanel agreed to retain the original provision of the bill, which envisions holding the national board examination only in grade 12.

The bill registered in Parliament in September, 2023 says national-level board exams will be conducted only at the end of grade 12. It makes no mention of the SEE that has so far been conducted at the end of grade 10. This means the respective schools will administer the test.

The National Examination Board will hold grade 12 tests across the country. The local units will conduct grade eight tests. The bill doesn’t give any role to the provinces in examination management.

Dozens of lawmakers from across the party line had registered amendments either demanding to retain the test in its present form or allowing the provincial government to manage it. However, the subcommittee, which has lawmakers from most parties, did not entertain the suggestions.

“We have agreed that the national-level test will be held only at the end of grade 12. The SEE, therefore, will be conducted by the respective schools on their own,” said a subcommittee member asking not to be named because they have no authority to reveal the agreement until the entire bill is finalised.

On March 21, the subcommittee was given 35 days to streamline amendments to the bill and submit it to the committee. Talking to the Post, Bishwakarma, the subcommittee coordinator, said they had intense discussions on the provision relating to the SEE but refused to share the agreement reached.

“We will share everything once we finalise the bill,” he told the Post, adding that the committee has agreed on 42 of the 163 sections of the bill.

Without divulging details, Minister for Education Bidya Bhattarai said, “The decision has been made in line with the constitution.”

The subpanel has been working every day, including Saturday, to find agreements on the bills amid hundreds of amendment proposals.

As many as 161 lawmakers from the ruling and opposition parties registered 1,758 amendments to the bill. After discussions, the number has now been brought down to around 1,000.

The subcommittee geared up the discussions over the bill last week after the Nepal Teachers’ Federation started demonstrations in Kathmandu, demanding immediate passage of the School Education Bill.

The protest entered the 10th day on Saturday, with the teachers announcing that they would not return to classrooms until they got a new Act incorporating the agreements they had reached with them in the past.

They have been refusing to stay under the local government, though the Constitution of Nepal puts the entire school education under its jurisdiction.

“The issues relating to teacher management and the regulation of private schools are among the most complex to settle,” Binita Kumari Singh, a member of the sub-panel, told the Post.

As the constitution lists school education as the exclusive authority of the local government, some lawmakers want teachers to work under local governments. However, there are amendments to continue them under the federal government, as education has been listed as the concurrent authority of all tiers of government.

Claiming that the bill will be tabled in the upcoming session of Parliament, the KP Sharma Oli-led administration has been urging the teachers to call off their protests. They, however, have been refusing and even declined to hold formal talks.

The Bishwakarma-led panel will submit the bill to the committee. It will be tabled in the House after being endorsed by the committee. Then, the bill will be tabled in the National Assembly for passage. The entire process takes at least a month when the House is in session and everything moves smoothly.

On the other hand, the federation has asked either to issue it through an ordinance or call a special or budget session immediately. Normally, the budget session commences in the first week of May.