Nepal Halts Equivalency for Open and Private Education Certificates
In today’s age of information technology, young people pursue education online. They also work online. With the global practice of earning while learning, open and private education systems were introduced to support this arrangement.
The world has recognized and embraced this system, but in Nepal, the right of students to study, work, and become employed or self-employed through open and private education has been taken away.
Government Restriction on Equivalency
According to the concerned branch of the Ministry of Education, Nepal has committed injustice by blocking equivalency of school-level educational certificates obtained through open education.
At present, after the government stopped granting equivalency for Class 10 and Class 12 certificates earned abroad through open and private education, the future of Nepali students has fallen into uncertainty.
Call for an Investigation Mechanism
Instead of depriving genuine students of equivalency, the government should establish a mechanism to investigate whether educational institutions and certificates from open and private systems are genuine or fake. However, the government has suspended equivalency altogether, leaving around 2,500 Nepali students in crisis.
Situation at the Equivalency Branch
When citizens visited the Recognition and Equivalency Determination Section under the Curriculum Development Centre in Sanothimi, Bhaktapur, on Tuesday, Section Director Vijay Badu and Section Officer Bhuvaneshwar Joshi expressed concern that even though students had submitted genuine certificates from foreign open and private boards, equivalency could not be granted.
Director Badu clarified during an interview with Nagarik News:
“Yes, in the past some foreign board institutions operated in Nepal and committed misconduct. But that does not mean all institutions or certificates are fake. Citing such misconduct, the Ministry of Education, after April 23, 2016 (2073 Baisakh 23), stopped granting equivalency to students who studied through open and private education. However, abroad, there are still systems where students earn and study. Around 2,500 of our students have obtained Class 10 and Class 12 level education from India’s National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) and American open schools, and have submitted genuine certificates to the Equivalency Section.”
Legal and Administrative Delays
He explained the legal obstacles:
“We verified every document and sent the files to the Ministry of Education back in Magh (January/February) to open equivalency. Seven months have passed, yet no positive response has come from the Ministry.”
He stressed that this has violated the rights of genuine students to pursue higher education.
Growing Pressure from Students
Officer Bhuvaneshwar Joshi also noted that although the number of students seeking equivalency has increased, directives from the Ministry have blocked the process. As a result, equivalency cannot be provided even when certificates are genuine.
“After passing Class 12, Nepali students are deprived of pursuing higher education in Nepal. They cannot even secure jobs in the country,” Joshi said. “Some students have missed the chance to sit for Public Service exams, while others lost opportunities for employment in different institutions. Many have also been barred from pursuing higher education in Nepal itself.”
The Need for Policy Reform
He emphasized, “In today’s digital age, students worldwide can access education through online, open, and private systems. If the institutions and certificates are genuine, the government must provide equivalency. Students are clearly in trouble.”
In open education, students also undergo practical training with physical presence in technical fields, making them skilled and capable. The Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology should therefore open the path of equivalency and be accountable to students.
Impact on Genuine Students
Even now, many poor and hardworking students study in foreign open and private schools while working. Thus, the government must recognize their certificates and provide equivalency.
Nepal has already closed foreign programs of open schooling such as the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS). Later, the Secondary Education Equivalency Guidelines 2079 (including the second amendment) stated that since these programs were discontinued, certificates issued after the cutoff date will not be recognized unless students had enrolled and graduated before that date.
Director Badu explained that this provision has left even genuine students without equivalency, putting them in serious difficulty.
