President questions necessity of O/L, Year Five Scholarship exams

• Emphasizes the importance of retaining children in school education for thirteen years

By Ajith Siriwardana

President Ranil Wickremesinghe has called for a decision regarding the necessity of the GCE Ordinary Level Examination and the Year Five Scholarship examination, the President’s Media Division (PMD) said.

The President raised the matter during the first discussion of the expert committee appointed to support the ministerial committee for a national education policy framework at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday.

He has emphasized the importance of retaining children in school education for thirteen years.

The President has also emphasized the need for fixed examination periods and to legally establish a specific month for the GCE Advanced Level examination.
The President has emphasized that any changes to the fixed schedule should be made only through a submission to Parliament for approval, except in cases of extreme emergencies such as pandemics or disasters like tsunamis.

The President emphasized the imperative of advancing education and technology while maintaining the standard of the school system, while special attention was focused towards the measures required to enhance the English skills of school children.

President Wickremesinghe stressed on the crucial role of human resources in the development of any country and the importance of establishing a robust education system and cultivating a skilled workforce to accomplish the objectives of becoming a developed country by 2048.  

•  The President has also emphasized the need for fixed examination periods and to legally establish a specific month for the GCE Advanced Level examination