Outcry grows over Grade 12 results. Students demand education minister’s scalp

Public anger over Nepal's Grade 12 examination results has escalated, with thousands of students demanding Education Minister Sasmit Pokharel's resignation. Protests, initially online, have moved to the streets as students accuse the government and the National Examination Board of negligence and recklessness in publishing scores they claim have jeopardized their academic futures.

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playing with the future of thousands of students in their rush to release results.

Students gathered in Kathmandu to protest what they described as serious flaws in the evaluation process. They allege that answer sheets were checked hastily to meet publication deadlines, resulting in marks that do not accurately reflect student performance. The controversy erupted immediately after the National Examination Board released the results on June 19, leading to widespread complaints and calls for accountability on social media platforms like TikTok and Reddit.

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We made him powerful, but he turned against us. Destroyed our future, investment and hard work. Resignation, resignation, resignation.

Viral videos and social media campaigns, using hashtags like ‘Resign Sasmit Pokharel’ and ‘Grade12Unfair,’ highlight student distress. Many videos show students in tears over grades significantly lower than their expected performance. One widely shared TikTok post questioned the remorse of officials for allegedly "playing with the future of thousands of students." Another video, viewed over 334,000 times, criticized the minister and the examination system for destroying students' futures, investments, and hard work.

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Does checking papers quickly mean checking them carelessly? Now students are being charged between Rs500 and Rs1,000 per subject for rechecking. Has examination evaluation become a business?

Students like Anjum expressed disbelief, noting that consistent top performers received C-plus grades. She questioned the examination board's conduct, asking if quick checking equated to careless checking and if rechecking fees had turned evaluation into a business. Similar frustrations are echoed on Reddit, where users criticize the government's emphasis on rapid result publication, viewing it as a publicity-driven approach rather than a focus on accuracy and student welfare.

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I looked at my marksheet and could not believe it. Students who consistently achieved top grades and had never scored below an A suddenly received a C-plus. Neither my family nor my teachers can believe the results. These marks are not just numbers on paper. They represent the future, dreams and years of hard work of thousands of students.