By Bishnu Pandey, Kathmandu, Aug. 13:  The COVID-19 pandemic has immensely affected the education sector of the nation as the educational institutions are being compelled to postpone physical examinations owing to the risk of spread of the virus.

For the last two years, students are being upgraded to higher classes or semesters without conducting examinations. The result of the Secondary Education Examination (SEE) was also published in the same way on the basis of internal evaluations without holding examinations.

The education experts have been opining that upgrading students to new academic years or semesters would have a long-term impact on students' future.

Meanwhile, the indefinite postponement of Grade 12 examinations just a week before the schedule by the National Education Board (NEB) has dismayed the students.

Although the Board has stated that the exam was postponed due to the increased infection rate, the educationalists have stressed holding examinations from other alternative methods.

Talking to The Rising Nepal, educationalist Dr. Bidhyanath Koirala said that the NEB shouldn’t have postponed the NEB examinations. "As the classes were being conducted remotely, the exams could also be held online. A three-hour examination doesn’t determine students' future."

Dr. Koirala said that giving grades to students randomly would affect their future.

Similarly, another education expert Dr. Binaya Kumar Kusiyiat also criticised the Board's decision to postpone the grade 12 examination. "Postponing exams in this way will negatively impact the exam appearing students," he said, adding that the Ministry of Education must intervene and call out the irregularities going on in the education sector amidst the pandemic.

Moreover, educationalist Dr. Bashudev Kafle said that a lot of irregularities were prevailing in the nation's education system. "The younger generations will have to suffer the consequences of these irregularities for a long time," he said.

Dr. Kafle also said that the concerned authorities must come up with alternative modes to hold an examination of Grade 12.