Breaking Barriers: Nepal's Shift to Compassionate Academic Policies

Nepal has introduced a policy addressing academic accommodations for students facing disasters, medical emergencies, and major life events. The Special Consideration Campaign spearheaded these changes, recognizing the emotional and physical challenges students face, ensuring they are not compelled to choose between personal adversities and education.

In a significant policy shift, Nepal now offers academic accommodations for students enduring emergencies such as natural disasters, bereavement, medical issues, and maternity, thanks to the efforts of the Special Consideration Campaign (SCC). Led by students affected by such adversities, the initiative aims to prevent academic disruptions from becoming lifelong setbacks.

Brothers Sabin and Santosh Dangol, from Nepal's Makwanpur district, represent the harsh realities historically faced by students. They were compelled to sit for board exams while grieving their mother's demise. "There was no option to defer. We had to attend in shock," said Sabin Dangol. Similar stories, like Ramesh Rawat's exams amidst floods, highlight systemic gaps that the SCC aims to address.

The campaign, pivotal in influencing policy at multiple governance levels, marks Nepal as the first South Asian nation to institutionalize these accommodations. Despite government transitions initially delaying progress, the Ministry of Education ultimately embraced the initiative, setting a precedent for educational frameworks accommodating life's unpredictabilities.