Govt preparing uniform academic calendar for Grades 1-12

KATHMANDU: The government is preparing to introduce structural reforms in the school education system (Grades 1–12) by integrating the academic calendar, curriculum revision, examination system, and teacher management into a single package.

The ministry has initiated discussions to bring the school-level academic session under a uniform structure. Although the new academic year for Grades 1 to 10 began on April 28 this year, there are now plans to integrate all levels (Grades 1–12) into a single system. If the plan materializes, all academic processes—from admissions and examinations to result publications—will be standardized across all twelve grades. Currently, Grades 1 to 10 follow one calendar, while Grades 11 and 12 operate on separate schedules.

For this, the ministry has formed a nine-member task force under the leadership of Prof Dr Balchandra Luitel, Dean of the School of Education at Kathmandu University. The task force has been assigned the responsibility of revising the curriculum from early childhood development to Grade 12.

Dhami said discussions are underway to introduce an integrated reform package, including curriculum revision and new academic approaches. “The Luitel-led task force has been given six months to propose new methods, systems, and programs for the upcoming academic year,” he added.

The Ministry of Education, Science, and Sports on Wednesday decided to begin the Grade 11 admission process from June 15.

Undersecretary Bir Bahadur Dhami, who is also the ministry spokesperson, told Himal Press over the phone that preparations were underway to facilitate the Grade 11 admission process. “The Secondary Education Examination (SEE) grade improvement exams will also start from the same day, and results will be published within 10 days,” he added.

Teacher transfer directive rendered inactive

Meanwhile, the Teacher Transfer Directive, 2025, has become inactive. According to instructions from the Ministry of Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs, procedures that are not registered under the Delegated Legislation Act automatically become void.

Dhami said all procedures, standards, and directives were required to be listed and registered under Section 25 of the Act. “We submitted all procedures for registration. Some were approved, while others were not,” Dhami said. “Since the Teacher Transfer Directive was not approved, it has become inactive,” he said. “Now, teacher transfers will be carried out as per Rule 99 of the Education Rules, 2002,” he said.

The ministry is now preparing to amend the Education Rules instead of introducing a new separate directive. According to the ministry, the amendment process has been initiated under the leadership of Education Minister Sasmit Pokharel and will be forwarded to the cabinet for approval soon.

Earlier, the Confederation of Nepalese Teachers (CNT) had also raised concerns over the practicality of the transfer directive introduced by former education minister Sumana Shrestha.