SC suspends releasing Grade 5 Scholarship Exam results

By Lakmal Sooriyagoda

The Supreme Court yesterday issued an interim order preventing authorities from taking steps to release the marks and ranks of the Grade 5 Scholarship Examination held on September 15.

Additionally, the apex court issued an interim order restraining authorities from calculating and releasing the cut-off marks for the examination results.

A three-judge bench of the Supreme Court, comprising Justices Preethi Padman Surasena, Achala Wengappuli, and Mahinda Samayawardhena, issued this order in response to three Fundamental Rights petitions filed by several students and their parents, seeking to cancel the Grade 5 Scholarship Examination.

The Court further issued an interim order staying the decision to award full marks to three leaked questions and thereby to commence the paper marking of Grade 5 Scholarship Examination. The petitioners named Commissioner General of Examinations Amith Jayasundara, Prime Minister and Minister of Education Dr. Harini Amarasuriya and several others as respondents.

Saliya Pieris PC, with Anjana Rathnasiri and Sarinda Jayawardena, appeared for one of the applications. Sanjeeva Jayawardena PC and Senior Counsel Chrishmal Warnasuriya appeared for other petitioners.

The petitioners stated that at or about 6.00 pm on September 14, a model paper had been circulated through WhatsApp. Further, on the date of the Examination, at about 6.19 am several model papers had been circulated through WhatsApp.

The petitioners further stated in one of such model papers 16 questions were contained, wherein correct answers were also marked. They alleged that a number of private tuition masters who are conducting classes for the Grade 5 Scholarship Examination had also shared the said papers through WhatsApp groups.

The Petitioners stated that three almost identical questions are contained in the Paper I of the Examination and these three questions were confirmed to be leaked prior to holding the examination. They further stated that there are five more questions in the said paper that are in substance similar to questions of Paper I of the Examination, though they are not almost identical in nature.

The Petitioners state that they were made to understand through media that a decision had been taken to award full marks for three leaked questions of the Examination and not to re-conduct the examination. They stated that due to the highly competitive nature of the exam, a difference of a single mark in the final result of a student who sat for the Examination could make a decisive impact.