SLC and all that fuss!!!!

SLC- the most dreaded and the most talked about examination more often referred to as the Iron Gate has once again begun to take center stage in Nepali households. From the year students in our country are promoted to the grade when they start using ink pens, SLC begins haunting them. Everything that they are forced to do, right from the cut down on leisure periods( that is if they had any) to the increasing hours of extra classes are all tried and tested methods of SLC preparation practiced in abundance. Students are no longer just mere students; they are almost like soldiers being prepared to face the monster that has been the hovering around every tenth grader for decades. As if parents’ and teachers’ constant reminders about SLC weren’t enough, everyone under the sun who is aware of your SLC candidacy makes it to a point of reminding you how much of a big deal SLC is.

But all the SLC fear is long thrown out of the window by the candidates all thanks to the pleasant experiences shared by their seniors who have been there and done that. For private school students (educated in English medium) the first paper of English is bound to be a cakewalk. However, the scenario is poles apart for the government school counterpart (now that’s a different sad story). Easily comprehendible texts and equally easy grammar questions await them. So the invigilator swears by his duty on the first day. The next day and the days that follow will probably be the most memorable days for most of the SLC candidates since there isn’t any examination that’s more dreaded yet so loved by the students for more than just one reason.

Plenty of students who have appeared for the exam in the past will have one or other incident related to cheating full throttle in the examination hall. My cousin was more than elated to have SLC invigilators who would direct them to maintain silence and do anything they wanted (that included passing answer sheets to changing seats albeit temporarily). The cherry on top, as per my cousin’s say, used to be the daily newspaper spread just perfectly covering his face averting direct encounter of things happening inside the examination hall.

Not all are blessed to have such understanding invigilators who believe in doing their job in the most “student friendly” manner. But then SLC invigilators’ one or the other lenient methods of invigilating make us realize that there are still plenty of Samaritans around us. Except for the super studious lot, who probably loath about the board first declaration being removed, most of them tend to study lesser and lesser as the examinations approach near. Not because of the overly good preparation. Rather they are consoled time and again about how fun it’ll be cheating right under the invigilator’s nose which but obviously lifts their long tired spirits.

Private school students are blessed to have their courses completed on time; actually way before the stipulated time. You see, the faster the better is the mantra private schools abide by to proudly announce the whole world their astounding number of distinction holders. The two shifts of coaching classes (irrespective of students’ personal requirements) are followed by endless revisions, tests, mock tests, and the list goes on. Most of the straight A students by heart almost all the past SLC questions. They almost become maniacs till they are done with the SLC exams. Students are forced to eat breath and sleep the SLC model questions. SLC candidates’ parents find plethora of reasons to not allow their children from taking a break from the academics throughout the tenth grade. After all their kids’ SLC results are crucial in making or breaking their social status.

With so much of overwhelming preparation done just to get past eight subjects teachers and parents should learn to stop pestering the students regarding SLC examination. Yes getting past school is a big deal but what is the whole point of bidding adieu to the golden years of school life with so much of fear embedded in students. For god sake, students who are used to giving three terminal examinations annually need not panic about SLC at all. Only if school officials and parents understood, the whole fuss surrounding SLC would have long disappeared.