CTSU want Grade 5 scholarships rescheduled
By Aisha Nazim
The Ceylon Teachers’ Service Union (CTSU) urged the government to annul the Grade Five scholarship exam held last Sunday (26) and reschedule it, as the papers had allegedly been leaked out before the examination.
According to the CTSU General Secretary Mahinda Jayasinghe, the exam papers had been leaked out the night before the examination in Rambukwella, Polgahawela, Debarawewa, and Anuradhapura.
Parents of scholarship candidates had been summoned by the teachers on Saturday (25) night and informed of what questions would appear on the next day’s paper.
“The students were informed of the exact essay topics, and of the Sinhala, Tamil and English words that had to be translated in the exam. In addition, during the half-an-hour lunch break, when they left the examination hall, they were taken in by their teachers and tutored as to what the next paper would have and how to answer it,” Jayasinghe charged.
Gampaha Shri Bodhi Vidyalaya, Kelaniya Gurukula Vidyalaya, Kelaniya Dharmashoka Vidyalaya, Anuradhapura Alayapattho Maha Vidyalaya, and Kanthale Bandaranayake Maha Vidyalaya were a few of the schools where students were given tip-offs during their lunch break, he alleged.
He charged that the Examinations Department had been notified of these violations, although it denied being informed of such.
As a result, he said the CTSU had submitted a written complaint to the Department, informing the Examinations Commissioner in detail regarding the schools and tutories which had publicized the paper, yesterday.
“One of the parents had called the Examination Department to complain on Sunday evening. However, instead of assuring her they will take action against the culprit, the Deputy Examinations Commissioner had asked her why she waited till evening to submit the complaint, and why she did not do it immediately,” he said.
