All preparatory classes and seminars will be banned one week prior to public examinations -- including the Grade-5 Scholarship, GCE O/L and the A/L, Education Minister Bandula Gunawardena said yesterday.

The minister told a news conference yesterday that the decision to do so was taken to prevent the circulation of rumours of examination paper leaks. The gazette notification will be effective from the 2012 GCE O/L examination.

“We have also sought the Attorney General’s advise on legal action that can be taken against those who attempt to create public disturbances by circulating rumours about examinations and its procedures,” the minister said adding that it would help prevent the Examinations Department from being politicized as well.
Meanwhile, a performance review of the 2012 Grade-5 scholarship examination was issued at the media briefing held at the Education Ministry.
According to the review carried out by the Examinations Department’s Research and Development Branch denotes a slight escalation in the number of candidates obtaining marks higher than the cut-off point.

“This year 10.76 per cent of the students had obtained more marks than the cut-off point as opposed to 10.38 per cent last year. Some 45 of those who obtained marks above the cut-off point are from low-economic families and about 15,000 of them will be chosen for government bursaries,” Examinations Commissioner W.M.J. Pushpakumara said.

The highest competence level provincial wise has been scored by the Wayamba Province with 70.42 per cent of the candidates obtaining more than 70 marks. Education-zone wise, the highest competence level was from the Nikawaratiya Zone. (Lakna Paranamanna)