A/L students ask for 2021 exams to be further postponed, due to various issues
Students sitting for the 2021 GCE Advanced Level examination have urged the Government to reconsider extending the exams from February to April citing a number of issues they are presently facing. In a letter to Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa, a group of students claimed though the National Institute of Education (NIE) proposed to cover only essential syllabuses from November last year to February this year, schools have been instructed by the Education Ministry to cover entire syllabuses.
“Whoever recommended the Education Minister to hold the GCE A/L examination in February is doing great injustice towards students,” they said. The students said according to the NIE, estimated education loss in 2020 was 55 percent in the Western province and 45 percent in other provinces, while in 2021 the education loss was 90 percent in the Western province and 70 percent other provinces. One issue they face is school classes being conducted in groups, reducing the number of days for studying and practical exams.
“Many A/L classes are conducted in two groups with one group getting two weeks of study each month. Therefore from November 15 of last year to February 7 this year students will get only 30 days. Therefore, we request to extend the exams at least until April,” the students told the Finance Minister in their letter. They said with exams around the corner many students are worried about failing to obtain the targeted results. “A majority of the tuition classes were conducted online. Only about 40 percent of students had access to online education and the financial crisis has left many parents unable to afford extra classes.
Also, tuition classes do not have laboratory facilities. A lack of time has also had an impact on students who are sitting for the A/L physics paper as there is no time left for practical exams,” they said. NIE Director Dr. Sunil Jayantha Nawaratne said there are no plans to change the date of A/L examinations yet. “Postponing this examination will lead to delayed O/L examinations and university entrance exams. For now we plan to stick to the proposed time table,” he said.
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