Education Minister explains delay in releasing O/L results

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka on Friday (09) commenced a program to vaccinate personnel at the Department of Examinations and the Education Ministry in a bid to kick start a program to re-commence education activities in schools across the island.

Teachers and Principals are to be vaccinated from Monday (12), said the Education Ministry.

Thereafter, in early August a total of 2,962 schools with less than 100 students located across the island are likely to open.

Education Minister (Professor) G. L. Peiris said a flexible and practical decision will be reached with regard to the G. C. E. Advanced Level examination following consultation with the committees.

'There are approximately two hundred thousand students appearing for the GCE Advanced Level Examination for the first time. There are about 150,000 students sitting for the examination for the second time. The request of the students appearing for the examination for the first time is that it is appropriate to postpone the examination as it is difficult to complete the syllabus. But the students who are appearing for the second time are requesting that the examination be held in October itself without any delay,' said the Education Minister.

The main problem that has arisen with regard to the issuance of the results of the GCE Ordinary Level Examination is the conduct of practical examinations of students who have studied eight (08) Aesthetic subjects, explained the Minister.

'That is why there has been a delay in releasing the results. Out of the 622,000 students who sat for the GCE Ordinary Level Examination, about 169,000 have studied aesthetics. If practical tests cannot be conducted, then we are faced with the question of whether the results will be issued after scoring on the school-based assessment,' he added.

The decision is expected to be based on technical advice after examining the relationship between the overall results of the previous year and the practical tests.