O/L should not be a barrier, says Ranil

In pursuing education, the Ordinary Level Examination is the first gateway

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday said that O/L Examinations should not be a barrier to those who excelled in various fields of study.

He made this statement at a ceremony organized by the Education Ministry to award the Mahatma Gandhi Scholarships at the Ministry of Sports.

“In pursuing education, the Ordinary Level Examination is the first gateway,” he said.

The Prime Minister also stressed on the need to improve English .

“I must emphasise the need of English for a successful future in society,”

Praising Mahatma Gandhi, the Prime Minister recalled how Sri Lanka was locked in a violent civil war and the country was racially divided.

“However, now with harmony re-established, we should use techniques laid down by Mahatma Gandhi and practiced by Nelson Mandela to maintain the nation’s peace and unity,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Indian High Commissioner Y. K. Sinha said that India had extended their aid in improving the Universities of Jaffna and Kilinochchi and primary schools in the

upcountry.

He added that India would complete a Rabindranath Tagore Auditorium at the Ruhunu University.

Mahatma Gandhi scholarships were established in 1984 to celebrate contributions of Mahatma Gandhi for world peace through non-violence.

In Sri Lanka, they are awarded to students who excelled at the GCE O/L but are of low income families. This year, students who performed well in the 2013 O/L exams were presented with the scholarship.

The scholarship, first introduced to Sri Lanka in 2006, provides monthly funds until the winners complete their Advanced Level education. Since 2006, it has been won by 950 students of which over 300 students have entered State universities.

It was also noted that 60 percent recipients have achieved higher academic achievements.