The GCE Ordinary Level examination is to be held even before the dust settles on the political arena. I feel sorry for the students who are sitting this exam which is a turning point in their lives. Sitting for this kind of exam needs a lot of preparation. But these students have gone thorough numerous hardships during the past few months. They were without electricity for months. When power cuts are thrust on all of a sudden, students are naturally disoriented. It takes them weeks to get used to other sources of lighting.

Then there was the election. The campaign last for about one month. I am sure they did not have peace of mind to concentrate on their studies. The country was like a war zone. The sound pollution was at its peak with hundreds of loudspeakers blasting on roads. There must have been thousands of election meetings, both big and small at every nook and corner of the country.

The whole country is tense. A sense of uncertainty prevails throughout. It will take some time for the country to return to normal.

We won’t be fair by the OL students if we expect them to perform as well as they would have done under normal circumstances. They are under unwanted pressure from society outside. Therefore, the government must take congniance of the harships of these students and be fair by them. I propose that the marks required for distinctions, credits and simple passes be brought down.
Concerned parent
Via e-mail