GCE O/L results show erosion in school education — Ministry

A gradual erosion in the school education system had been revealed in the GCE Ordinary Level examination results of December 2002 with a mere 24% passing English while only 37% and 55% respectively had passed in Mathematics and Science. The total number of students qualified to study for GCE Advanced Level was as low as 42%, the Education Ministry said.

A Ministry spokesman said that basic international standards had been maintained in the examination papers of these three subjects that had resulted in the poor performance. He said it was an indication that the Sri Lankan school education system had failed to meet basic standards in these three subjects.

The lowest recorded results had been from the Moneragala, Kilinochchi, Mullativa, Trincomalee and Matale districts. A special meeting of officials in the education sector was held this month with the participation of Education Minister Karunasena Kodituwakku to review the GCE Ordinary Level examination.

Among matters highlighted at this review were breakdown in Education management, teacher transfer by various provincial councils in an informal manner and improper balancing of teachers. Reducing the periods for subjects such as Mathematical promoting those who were weak at the year end test results to higher classes and not providing sufficient periods for teachers in charge of classes for students, supervision.

The three schools achieving the best results in the current GCE (O/L) Examination were Devi Balika College, Colombo 85%, Visakha College, Colombo 82% and Science College Matale 82%. While the lowest results were shown by Meeyagala Vidyalaya, Moneragala 13% Mawaddichenai Vidyalaya, Trincomalee 16% and Puleliya Vidyalaya, Medawachchi 18%. Failures in core subjects were based on calculating these weak results and accordingly results were weak in all the six subjects in Puleliya Vidyalaya, Madawachchiya; in four subjects, in Mullativu and Kilinochchi while these were fairer in two subjects in the Jaffna and Matale districts. Although the war situation that existed in the Mullativu, Kilinochchi and Jaffna districts could be attributed to the weakening of results in those districts, the Minister stated that regarding the Monaragala and Matale districts where there was no such situation prevailing, the breakdown in the education management and specially the improper balancing of teachers and shortage of teachers would have been instrumental for the weak results at the examination.

The Education Minister further stated that results were not satisfactory in certain schools in the Colombo District too. He appealed to the group of scholars who were present to forward recommendations for the purpose of minimising the existing unfavourable situation. Based on the views expressed on this occasion the Education Minister indicated that if it was found that the daily time assigned for conducting the school during all the number of school days was not sufficient, necessary study should be taken with the concurrence of every body concerned. The number of schools days in a year was between 190 and 195 days. He stressed that, each day about 20-30% of teachers were on leave.

The Education Minister indicated that apart from the above a large number serving as Zonal Directors of Education were those who had not passed the Educational Management Service in a formal manner while those who held the post of Divisional Directors of Education below them have been appointed on political influence.

The Minister further explained that all these woeful effects had to be borne by the poor children of poor parents and until and unless suitable persons ware appointed to posts in Educational Management and Principals in a systematic manner it was difficult to eradicate this unfavourable situation.