The University Grants Commission is working hard to find a workable mechanism to implement a “unified” academic calendar for Nepal’s universities. If not a unified academic calendar, at least a synchronised one would help to complete the courses on time and regain trust in Nepal’s higher education system. Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal who is ex-officio chancellor of about a dozen universities, has been emphasising the importance of strictly adhering to the programme in his policy speeches.

Speaking at Kathmandu University's 28th convocation ceremony last month, Prime Minister Dahal said, “Because universities have not been effectively implementing the academic calendar, the schedules related to student admission, classes, examinations and publication of the examination results have become uncertain. This has harmed the future of students and caused anxiety to their parents and guardians."

The speech outlined three distinct sets of policy preferences. First, the highest policy making level has realised the need for a functional academic calendar for Nepal’s higher education. This is not only desirable but an overdue exercise. Second, the prime minister has rightly proposed creating a “national calendar” instead of a unified or single calendar for all higher education institutions. Third, his idea of giving freedom to individual universities to frame their own calendars matching their specific nature and needs is undoubtedly a pragmatic approach.

The ecosystem imperative

The academic calendar is affected by various schedules and events in the country's academic system. The most critical prerequisite is the publication of the Grade 12 results on a fixed date every year so that higher education institutions can plan accordingly and students can gain timely admission into undergraduate courses. The National Examination Board which is responsible for publishing the Grade 12 results might expect the same with regard to Grade 10 results. Since any disruption in the schedule sets off a chain reaction, it will not be possible to stick to the academic calendar at the university level until this is stopped.

At the core of the ecosystem approach should lie the national education policy with defined timelines, goals and expected outcomes. The policy must have a framework that not only recognises the complementarity of high school education, vocational and technical education and degree awarding university education, but also functions in tandem with the overarching goal of the country’s human resource management plan. Nepal still lacks a coherent human resource management policy that is linked with the country’s education system to ensure supply of the desired skills. The results of a preliminary study carried out under the auspices of the National Planning Commission with support from a donor agency have not yet been made public.

The consequences of not maintaining the academic calendar are perhaps not adequately appreciated at the highest policymaking level. One of the major reasons for Nepali students going abroad for higher studies is that it takes much longer here to complete the programme and graduate. Such delays adversely affect the quality of educational outcomes too.

Stakeholder approach

It is not only the fault of the academic authorities for the academic calendar going haywire. Students, teachers, academic administrators and parents too have failed to respect and implement the schedule.

Politically motivated strikes, lock-ups and disturbances by students, teachers and staff unions have appeared as the main reason for the disruptions at a majority of universities. Relentless unionisation by the major political parties has prevented reform in the higher education system, including implementation of the academic calendar. The parties consider the student unions as the main breeding ground for their cadres, and the teacher and staff unions as their support system. This remains the root cause for all anomalies in university education.

The importance of having a functional calendar for higher education—national, unified, synchronised or whatever—is self-evident. But even the best calendar has little chance of being implemented unless the entire educational ecosystem is revamped. The proposed national calendar for university education, as envisioned by the prime minister, can only be implemented if there is political will to prevent interference by the trade unions, including those affiliated to his own party. This will substantiate the prime minister's intention to reform the academic calendar and also set a precedent in depoliticising Nepal’s higher education.