• Blames Exam. Dept for leaks

The Ceylon Teachers Union (CTU) yesterday (14) blamed the Department of Examinations for lack of responsibility, in relation to the controversial leaking of the Agricultural Science paper (Part ll) at the recently held G.C.E. Advanced Level (A/L) Examination, and called on the Ministry of education to launch an inquiry into the incident.  

Last week, the Examination Department cancelled the 2023 G.C.E. Advanced Level Examination’s Agricultural Science II paper due to reports that several questions of the paper had been leaked prior to the exam.

Accordingly, the relevant test paper, which students sat for on 10 January, has been deemed invalid by the Department of Examinations on account of numerous questions included in the paper having been leaked before the exam date.

Commenting on the matter, CTU General Secretary Joseph Stalin told the media that the Examination Department must take responsibility for the particular incident for its inability, and lack of responsibility in protecting the confidentiality of the papers in such a mainstream national examination. He said that this kind of negligence would further affect the mentality of the candidates who sit for the examination, whose examination has been postponed for many months.

He urged the Ministry of Education and the Department of Examination to conduct an impartial investigation into the incident and do justice for those who took the exam on the said day. He noted that the Examination Department continuously failed to make the examination process systematic, and its failure in holding exams on time and making payments of the examiners has led both the students and teachers frustrated.

He said that the relevant authorities must explain how such a scandal could take place when the whole examination process is being monitored by the Commissioner General of Exams, Assistant Commissioners and other regional officers. However, the Examination Department is yet to announce the rescheduled dates.

The Commissioner General of Examinations Amith Jayasundara, and Secretary to the Ministry of Education Wasantha Perera, were unavailable to comment.