MR insists on Mathematics

3 February 2011 04:44 pm

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has stressed that the Education Ministry should maintain the status quo that at least a simple pass is required for Mathematics at the GCE Ordinary Level Examination for students to do their Advanced Level studies in any stream.

The status quo is that those who fail in the subject at the GCE Ordinary Level can start their Advanced Level studies on the condition that they obtain at least a simple pass during their second and third shies.

At Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting, the Cabinet discussed the Education Ministry’s recent proposal that students who failed in Mathematics should be permitted to study for the Advanced Level exam in Arts subjects such as Music or foreign languages.

Ministers Dinesh Gunawardane, Basil Rajapaksa, and Anura Priyadarshana Yapa noted that students should not be discouraged through such a decision from studying Mathematics which is a vital subject for practical living.  They told the meeting that students would not take a keen interest in studying hard for Mathematics if such a decision were taken.

Accordingly, it was decided to maintain the status quo.  Education Minister Bandula
Gunawardane was instructed to redraft a Cabinet memorandum in this regard and present it next week. (Kelum Bandara)