Hustle Mode: SEE Answer Sheet Checking Speeds Up After Teacher Protests' Delay
Teacher Strike Leads to Expedited Examination of Answer Sheets
After a month-long teachers' protest, the National Examination Board (NEB) has stepped up the pace of Secondary Education Examination (SEE) answer sheet evaluations across 50 centers nationwide. As reported, Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, and Lalitpur each host one evaluation center, with a total of 514,000 answer sheets awaiting inspection.
In the Hot Seat: 15,000+ Teachers Per Day
Previously, around 10,000 teachers participated daily in the checking process. This year, the number has surged to 15,000 per day, according to Dr. Ganesh Bhattarai, Controller of the Class 10 Examination Board. Teachers have been provided with additional orientation to tackle this sudden spike in the workload.
As the pressure increases, each teacher now checks roughly 100 answer sheets every day. Select districts are even conducting night shifts to stay on schedule. For instance, in Bhaktapur, checking begins at 4 AM and continues until schools open. Afterward, it restarts in the evening and ends at 11 PM.
Flexible Hours to Accommodate Regular Teaching Obligations
Given that teachers need to attend their regular classes during the day, the board has made accommodations for the evaluations to take place during early morning and evening hours.
Dr. Bhattarai shared that had the strike not occurred, the checking process would have been completed by now.
Balancing Act: Teachers Juggling Regular Teaching and Evaluation Duties
Under normal circumstances, checking is planned during the academic break. However, because schools are currently in session, teachers must now manage responsibilities beyond their regular teaching hours.
Daily Reports from Centers Keeps Things Transparent
The board is gathering daily updates from nearly all active centers to monitor progress. Most districts handle the check-in process through the Education Development and Coordination Units.
Dr. Bhattarai shared that as of now, approximately 30% of total answer sheets have been evaluated. Some districts have already completed up to 60% of their allotted share.
The Great Teacher Protests Delay of '22
The delay started due to a month-long protest organized by the Nepal Teachers' Federation, which took place from Chaitra 20 to Baisakh 17. Once an agreement was reached between the teachers and the government on Baisakh 17 (Wednesday), checking resumed in selected centers on Friday and in others from Saturday onward.
Pushing Back the Deadline
The initial plan was to publish the SEE results within three months of the examination. Had checking run smoothly, results would have been announced around Asar 7. However, due to the protests, the timeline has been revised.
Still a Long Road Ahead
Once finishing the evaluation process, the board anticipates another month before publishing the results. Delays could occur due to a lack of skilled personnel, mainly in technical roles, which continues to impact the final stages of the result processing.
- Despite the increase in teachers to 15,000 per day for SEE answer sheet evaluations nationwide, it is still estimated that it will take another month before the results can be published, due to a lack of skilled personnel, particularly in technical roles.
- Efforts have been made to accommodate regular teaching obligations, with the evaluation process taking place during early morning and evening hours, as opposed to the originally planned academic break, because schools are currently in session.
- The National Examination Board (NEB) is gathering daily updates from nearly all active centers to monitor progress, with most districts handling the check-in process through the Education Development and Coordination Units.
- The teacher protests organized by the Nepal Teachers' Federation from Chaitra 20 to Baisakh 17 resulted in a delay in the SEE answer sheet evaluations, pushing back the initial plan to publish the results within three months of the examination.
