Amendments to school admissions system

Chamikara Weerasinghe

COLOMBO: The National Education Commission is currently amending the draft on the new policy concernining Grade one School Admissions to be introduced with a new school structure.

The draft policy came under fire by past pupils’ associations in national schools across the country when it was first introduced for approval by the Commission a few weeks ago.

Secretary , Ministry of Education, K.P.Chandrasekara said that the Ministry was awaiting the amendments.

Asked how long it would take to complete the new policy, Chandrasekara said that the process can take some time before it could be presented for cabinet approval.

The policy will be submitted to President Mahinda Rajapaksa once the Supreme Court passes its ruling upon its content, he said.

A Committee headed by Prof. A. V. Suraweera is presently studying the draft to make necessary amendments, he said and added, “ the Ministry of Education has submitted some of its proposals to the Commission. The people can also submit their proposals to the Commission.”

Meanwhile, Education Minister Susil Premajayantha is said to have repeatedly mentioned the need for a fresh categorisation of the present school structure on the basis of their current disposition.

Sources close to Minister Premajayantha said that the Minister had said on many occasions that it was high time that the schools may be grouped according to what they are today.

As explained by an Education Ministry official , “ for example, Kotahena Central College was a national school but it has deteriorated so much over the years owing to various problems that it could not be called a national school anymore.

“There are many instances like that. There are some schools which have raised their standards than they were and they need to be given due recognition in the process of enviosioned categorising,” he said.

Minister Premajayantha is also concerned about preserving the tradition of school admissions introduced in 1962 by Prime Minister Sirmavo Bandaranaike so that the percentage of children taken on the basis of their religious background does not change as with the new policy, he said.