Audit inquiry on student admissions to National Schools

By Sandun A. Jayasekera

Students to national schools will not be admitted as long  as an audit inquiry is concluded on the issue as a slew of misdeeds and  misappropriations have been reported on the student admission system to  National Schools, Education Minister Susil Premajayantha said yesterday.   

The Education Ministry had received complaints from parents  alleging that certain National Schools had admitted students exceeding  the stipulated number of students to grade six and other classes,  compelling the Education Ministry to initiate an audit inquiry on  student admission to National Schools, he added. Addressing the media last morning, Minister Premajayantha  said students will not also be accepted from grade seven to ten or from one  National School to another. The minimum cut-off marks to enter popular or National  Schools based on this year’s grade V scholarship examination will be  issued in a week, he said.   

Minister Premajayantha said the Education Ministry would  review the possibility of giving the responsibility to monitor and  maintain National Schools to Provincial Councils which would minimise the  rush to enter students to National Schools as 35 out of 393 most  popular or National Schools are located in major urban areas.   
“The biggest achievement of the just concluded GCE O/L  examination is that there was no leakage of question papers this time.  This success is more significant because the examination was held under  trying conditions due to the heavy rain experienced and economic,  political and social mess prevailing the country. But the examinations  was concluded successfully except for one or two incidents,” he said.  

The Education Ministry would discuss issues affecting the  national education and higher education with all stakeholders to the  subject like school principals, teachers, parents, the UGC, lecturers  and professors, deans and vice-chancellors, non-academic staff and trade  unions before going ahead with the reforms proposed for higher and  national education. A series of discussions are scheduled in the days to  come, Minister Premajayantha stressed.   

Responding to Daily Mirror, Minister Premajayantha said the  entire curriculum for GCE O/L and A/L would be completed before their  respective exams are held as the Education Ministry was committed to  maintain the standard of certificates issued on the two exams accepted  worldwide for higher education or employment.