January 22, 2025 – Principals of several private schools in Lalitpur gathered at Ullens School, Satdobato, Nepal, for a meeting organized by the Lalitpur Metropolitan Education Department. I attended the session hoping to hear about collaborative projects or innovative teaching methods. However, most of the session revolved around new regulations and directives, including a strict exam for Grade 8 and a proposed fee hike for the same grade.

At one point, the Education Chief remarked, “We, the government, are here to support you, and you need to know how to receive help.” However, the tone and context felt more like a warning than an offer of support. The meeting felt like a lesson in compliance, leaving little room for dialogue or innovation.

BLE Exam: An Unproductive Burden

Although the Education Chief referred to Lalitpur as the educational hub of Nepal, the department seemed focused on enforcing rules and regulating private schools. The proposed Basic Level Examination (BLE) for Grade 8, involving 7,100 students (5,500 from private schools and 1,600 from public schools), highlights administrative inefficiency.

To conduct this exam, the department has created unnecessary administrative hurdles, including question paper preparation, exam center management, and appointing 40 supervisors from PABSON and 20 from NPABSON. This process wastes significant time and energy that could have been better spent on improving student education. Additionally, each student is required to pay an exam fee of NPR 500, raising questions about the financial motives behind these regulations. Collecting NPR 3.5 million from 7,100 students undermines the claim of making Lalitpur an educational hub.

Why does the government invest so much time and effort in processes like “an exam for the sake of an exam”? This energy could be used to empower schools to focus on innovation and growth.

Freedom for Innovation: The Key to Educational Success

Education thrives when teachers and institutions are granted freedom. For instance, Lalitpur’s Dynamic Public School (DPS) has excelled in futuristic computing fields like Artificial Intelligence (AI). Imagine if the government said, “DPS, forget traditional textbooks. Focus on your strengths. We fully support you to maintain excellence.”

When schools are free to innovate, experiment, and conduct research, the education system becomes dynamic and student-centered. Instead of forcing schools to adhere to rigid rules, the government should encourage them to explore their unique strengths and strive for excellence.

Unfortunately, the current approach does the opposite. By imposing top-down directives and centralized control, the government stifles the innovation capacity of schools, suppressing creativity and lowering the quality of education. This is akin to plowing fields with roosters – an inefficient and counterproductive effort. Giving the order to run with hands and feet tied is tyranny.

A Call for Change

Nepal’s education system cannot be reformed through over-regulation and micromanagement. It requires a new mindset that prioritizes trust, collaboration, and freedom. Here are some key steps for meaningful change:

1. Trust Teachers and Schools
   Allow teachers to manage exams and other administrative tasks independently. They understand their students and environments best.
2. Reduce Administrative Burdens
   Simplify unnecessary regulations to free up time for innovation and improvement.
3. Promote Individual Strengths
   Encourage schools to focus on their unique strengths, such as AI at DPS, rather than forcing all institutions to follow a uniform curriculum.

Foster Innovation
Provide schools with the resources and autonomy needed to develop experimental and innovative approaches.

Conclusion

The Basic Level Examination (BLE) proposed by the Lalitpur Metropolitan Education Department for Grade 8 is symptomatic of a larger issue: the over-regulation of education in Nepal. By focusing on compliance and control, the government is missing the opportunity to inspire creativity, innovation, and excellence in schools.

If the government truly wants to help, it must empower schools and teachers, trust them to deliver quality education, and grant them the freedom to innovate. Only then can Nepal’s education system reach its full potential, where both public and private institutions thrive, and students are equipped to tackle the challenges of the future.