By Sampada Anuranjanee Khatiwada

Kathmandu, June 6: The enforcement of over two-month long nationwide lockdown has affected all aspects of development and education sector is no exception to it.
With all the schools being shut and exams postponed, students all across the country, especially those taking Secondary Education Examination (SEE), have been adversely affected by the lockdown as their examination has been postponed indefinitely. 
SEE, so called ‘iron gate’ in a students’ life was scheduled to begin on March 19, which was postponed considering the threat of COVID-19 spread.
Cut in more than two months of postponement, the students taking SEE are still bewildered regarding their examination.
“Postponing SEE is undoubtedly a rightful decision amid growing number of COVID-19 cases but this has left students around the country confused and worried about their future,” said Hemanshu Kafley, SEE appearing student of Valley View School, Mid-Baneshwor.
“All 482,000 SEE appearing students underwent a yearlong preparation, took half a dozen of mock exams and revised their curriculum daily. But now, the uncertainty of the exam has left all of us in despair,” added Kafley.
Stating that the Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli had said that he wouldn’t let students lose a whole year of their lives, Kafley said, “This has somewhat turned our despair into hope, but we haven’t heard anything about postponing, cancelling or conducting the exam from the education ministry and other concerned authorities,” he added.
Kafley said that the government’s silence on matter of future of thousands of students had intensified the stress among students.
Likewise, Sadikshya Rijal, a 10th grader, said, “The uncertainty of SEE has affected both, the students and parents.”
“We’re lucky enough to have a roof over our heads and have the food we like, but there are a lot of SEE examinees who have travelled away from their home and are living in rented houses to take the examination,” she added.
Rijal said that the pandemic and postponement of examinations would affect them in long term for sure.”The government should contemplate on choosing the best alternatives for us so that our preparations for a whole year won’t go in vain.”
Along with the confusion about when the exam would be conducted, the students of 10th grade have also been saying the free time of doing something productive during the lockdown was wasted due to uncertainty of SEE.
Priyasa Pandey, a 10th grade student of Meridian International School, Baluwatar, said, “The increasing cases of virus infection, followed by postponement of SEE have puzzled all of us right now. Even the higher authorities aren’t clear and certain regarding conduction of the examination.”
Pandey said that it had distracted the students and they were not able to concentrate either on studies or on other productive works.
“If I sit down to study, I can’t concentrate well thinking that exams would not be held soon,” she added. “But if I try doing something other than study, be it cooking, painting or reading books, the guilt of not studying during board exams hovers around my brain.”
Thus, decision as to the examination must be made as soon as possible so that we do not waste our time and do something fruitful this lockdown.”
Meanwhile, the government has said that decision as to SEE would be made soon.
Chandra Mani Poudel, Chairman of National Education Board, said, “We’ve not thought of cancelling the examination. But health is undoubtedly our first priority.”
As the COVID-19 caseload has been soaring daily, we cannot conduct examination by risking students’ health, said Poudel.
Moreover, Minister for Education, Science and Technology, Giriraj Mani Pokharel, during his interaction with the journalists on Thursday said that the government had been deliberately discussing alternatives about the examination.
Minister Pokharel said that decision regarding SEE would be taken within a week.