The Agony of Children – Facing a Competitive Examination – for the Compulsory Continuity beyond 5th Grade
Unequal Dispersal of Resources for Schools Critically Challenges the Objectives of Free Education System and compulsory Schooling for 12 Years.
The heading above itself speaks about the contradicting implementation process towards achieving the objectives of the policies laid by education system – Free Education to ALL up to 12 years. The basic reason for holding an island-wide competitive examination for the children at the very tender age to qualify for next compulsory step is, that schools and its system are critically imbalanced to provide equal opportunities to all schooling children and that horrendous basic error has been accepted by the authorities as such. An easy solution was found through the 5th Standard Scholarship Examination, but with enormous annual expenditure which permanently put an end to any ideas of improving the rural schools that meant to lay the foundation to the children. Scholarship schemes make the “free education to all” a comical theme as the majority of the students do not qualify for the superior-class of schools; the whole society is in anxiety as the children are haunted down off their emotional freedom. Presently a 5th standard student leaves home to school by 7.30AM or even earlier and reaches home back around 2.00Pm or even later, but only to be dumped at scholarship exam coaching centers until the late evening, even the weekends are not spared for family care.
One of the recommendations made by Dr. Perera Commission on University Admissions in 1986 emphasized, gradual removal of disparity among schools, whatever means the admissions take place- still, this call is very much appropriate for basic junior schools as well since the best foundation for students can wither any challenges.
Recent studies reveal that remote area school students obtaining better results in the G.C.E O/L and G.C.E A/L Examinations than the so-called privileged school students, compared to the preceding 5 years; this is a good sign to undertake improvement on Junior school education system as well. Therefore
Recent studies reveal that remote area school students obtaining better results in the G.C.E O/L and G.C.E A/L Examinations than the so-called privileged school students, compared to the preceding 5 years; this is a good sign to undertake improvement on Junior school education system as well. Therefore
1. The 5th Standard Scholarship Examination which was initially promised to be an experimental one, but have become permanent a feature of agony for many- should be scrapped off, and it is the responsibility of the Government to ensure each and every student passing the 5th Standard receive the benefit of the resources equally.
2. The annual expenditure set for that particular examination should be set against the dispersing the schooling resources equally to all island wide.
3. The foundation for knowledge gathering shall not be measured by monetary concerns so that to ensure every student receive the free education benefits equally.
