Apr 20, Kathmandu- The Class 12 examination has been thrown into confusion due to the teachers' strike.

The National Examination Board has made public the schedule for the annual Class 12 examination starting from April 11. The board is preparing to conduct regular and partial examinations for general, traditional and technical streams from April 11 to 24.

However, community school teachers across the country have been protesting in the capital Kathmandu for the past 19 days. Due to this, it is not certain that the exams will be held on time. This has students and parents worried.

Teachers, who have been protesting at their homes every day for three weeks under the leadership of the National Teachers' Federation, have also prepared to not participate in the exams. The federation, which claims to be in a decisive movement, has also stated that it will not stop the agitation unless the Education Act is issued as a credible basis.

However, the National Examination Board issued a statement last Friday stating that the Class 12 examination would be conducted on the scheduled date. The board has not spoken since then. Despite repeated attempts to contact the board's chairman, Mahashram Sharma, he could not be reached.

Meanwhile, repeated talks between the Prime Minister, government representatives, and officials of the federation have ended without any conclusion. This has also increased the uncertainty about the examination.

Some have now started saying that even if the teachers stop their agitation, preparations will not be made for conducting the Class 12 exams on time.

The Ministry of Education has also not given a concrete answer on this issue. Ashesh Pokharel, the personal secretary to the Minister of Education, said that a concrete conclusion will be reached on the Class 12 exams by this evening. ‘The exams will not be stopped. It may be postponed for two or three days,’ he said, ‘Consultations are being held on how to move forward with the Class 12 exams. Some conclusions will be reached by this evening.’